An adorable predator is on the loose at the Dallas Zoo: a clouded leopard named Nova

• The Dallas Zoo closed Friday morning after one of its clouded leopards went missing.
• Zoo officials issued a "code blue" for a "non-dangerous animal that is out of its habitat," according to the zoo's Facebook page.
•  While these cats are quite cute, they're still considered to be carnivorous predators. 

The Dallas Zoo closed Friday morning after one of its adorable feline predators — a clouded leopard named Nova — went missing, according to the zoo's Facebook page and local news reports.

The zoo called it "a serious situation" and later issued a "code blue" for a "non-dangerous animal that is out of its habitat." 

Zoo officials reportedly arrived this morning to find one of the clouded leopards missing from its habitat. They believe the animal is "still on grounds and hiding."

A Dallas SWAT team is helping zoo officials search for the leopard, according to WFAA reporter Demond Fernandez. 

The Dallas Zoo released a video highlighting its two clouded leopards, sisters Nova and Luna, last year. In the video, the zoo's associate curator of mammals explains the cat sisters were born at the Houston zoo and like to climb and eat ground meat and bones to chew on.

Zoo staff described Nova as more "aloof" than her sister.

The Dallas Zoo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on which leopard is missing.

Fernandez reported that the missing leopard is Nova who "escaped from a tear in the mesh of her enclosure." 

Clouded leopards are known for being "one of the most ancient cat species," according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. 

The leopards typically live in forest habitats, feature a smaller stature, and have large paws for gripping branches. They are not considered to be either a great call or small cat species because they can't roar or purr, according to the Smithsonian.

It is one of the only two cat species that can climb down trees headfirst, the Smithsonian says. The leopards are also known for their long canine teeth and ability to open their mouths to 100-degree angles, which allow them to hunt prey such as gibbons, small deer, and wild boars.