Rare Clouded Leopard Caught on Film

An elusive species of leopard in Asia was captured on film, the first of clouded leopard to be made public, by scientists working in the Dermakot Forest Reserve in Malaysia. The Sundaland clouded leopard was discovered three years ago to be a distinct species of clouded leopard, and is one of the most elusive big cats. Little is known about the ecology of clouded leopards, as they are rarely ever seen. The cat was found by a team that has been studying the effects of changes to the forest on carnivores in the area, and was the only clouded leopard they have seen in eleven months of research. The clouded leopard is the largest predator on Borneo, and is thought to be at a very low population level.

Clouded leopards are considered endangered, and due to their secretive nature, little is known about their behavior in the wild. Their biggest threat is habitat degradation due to logging and development of agricultural areas. They are also hunted for their skin, meat and bones, even more now that many of the tigers and other leopards in their area have been hunted out. Their population is thought to be in decline, though it is difficult for scientists to gauge the exact amount of clouded leopards left in the wild, as they are so difficult to find.

Two other rare cats were photographed with the clouded leopard, and this is a step in the right direction for the scientists researching these big cats. The more that is known about clouded leopards, the more we can do to save them. You can learn more about the research project or adopt a wild clouded leopard.