Meet Nova, the missing clouded leopard at the Dallas Zoo.

DALLAS. On Friday morning, Dallas Zoo staff went to check on two clouded leopard sisters in their enclosure.

The only problem? One was missing.

Nova escaped through a hole in the mesh of her fence.

As of Friday morning, Nova was still missing, though officials believed she was likely still on the zoo grounds.

Luckily, her sister Luna was safe and sound in the enclosure.

According to the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Institute for Conservation Biology, both sisters are 3-4 years old and weigh 20-25 pounds, which is typical for adult female clouded leopards.

Here’s what we know about Nova, her sister, and clouded leopards in general:

Representatives of the Dallas Zoo emphasized the difference between an ordinary leopard and a clouded leopard.

Clouded leopards are smaller and not considered dangerous. In fact, the “code blue” issued by the Dallas Zoo when Nova went missing is to look for non-dangerous animals.

It can vary greatly between the sexes. Male clouded leopards can weigh up to 50 pounds, while females like Nova and Luna weigh 20-25 pounds.

According to the Smithsonian Zoo, the clouded leopard has a lifespan of 12-15 years, but in human care it can live up to 17 years.

The clouded leopard sisters were born in Houston and arrived in Dallas in 2021.

In a post published in March last year, zoologists described the Moon as “much more comfortable in its new surroundings and getting used to the people around it more quickly.”

According to one zoologist, Nova was still “a little aloof, which is very typical of the species.”

“She will stay on top even when we are in her habitat, but she definitely walks a little more,” the zoologist said.

Nova at that time began to make sounds that were more like a greeting, which is a common way clouded leopards express their feelings.

Nova, when frightened, is likely to climb a tree, “hunt squirrels and birds, and hope not to be spotted,” said Harrison Edell, the zoo’s executive vice president.

“Thinking like a cat, she probably went straight for the trees and didn’t come down,” Edell said.