The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), also called mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through Northeast India and Bhutan to mainland Southeast Asia into South China
Two scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) discovered that the clouded leopards in western Assam’s Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve engage in a mysterious hide-and-seek behavior within the tropical canopy forests.
The mainland clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), known for its large canines relative to skull size, is reminiscent of the Ice Age sabretooth.
It possesses unique rotating rear ankles that allow it to descend headfirst from trees.
The researchers, Salvador Lyngdoh (carnivore ecologist) and Urjit Bhatt (research scholar), both affiliated with WII's Department of Landscape-level Planning and Management, observed that these clouded leopards do not adhere to any specific spatial pattern, unlike other carnivores.
The clouded leopards exhibit remarkable freedom of movement, facilitated by their tree-climbing ability, even hanging upside down from large branches. This behavior sets them apart as agile and powerful predators in the forest.
Salvador Lyngdoh described the clouded leopards as forest ninjas due to their agility and strength.
Clouded leopards are classified into two species: the mainland clouded leopard, found from central Nepal to peninsular Malaysia, and the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), native to Borneo and Sumatra.
The mainland clouded leopard is vulnerable according to the IUCN Red List due to threats like deforestation and poaching, putting it at high risk of extinction in the wild.
The researchers aimed to fill knowledge gaps about the clouded leopard's ecology and population status.
Their study focused on a 500 sq. km area in Manas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and investigated aspects such as population density, habitat usage, and spatial/temporal behavior.
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