Smithsonian.com

Clouded Leopard, courtesy of Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian National Zoo

Stumbling wide-eyed giraffes, fuzz-ball lions cubs, a curious baby gorilla rolling carelessly on his back or the unmistakable black and white fluff of a baby panda—all solicit coos and awws by even the sternest zoo visitor. But when it comes to choosing the cutest baby animal, why not be original?

Budget Travel’s Cutest Zoo Baby contest offers 22 adorable infant animals to vote for as the cutest. The National Zoo’s clouded leopard cubs are ranked fourth. Falling behind animals from other zoos, like Samudra the baby Elephant, Blue Blue Penguin and Xi Lan the panda, who sits in first with nearly six thousand votes. In order to move into first the cubs need about five thousand more votes. So go vote!

The clouded leopards are making a quick rise in the ranks, climbing from tenth to fourth in two days. Elephants, pandas, penguins—they’ve all been done before. Clouded leopard cubs may just be that new fresh and furry face everyone has been looking for.

The cubs were born in late March at the National Zoo’s research facility in Front Royal, Virginia. Primarily inhibiting South East Asia the species’ numbers continue to dwindle, and there are only an estimated 10,000 left in the world.