Clouded Leopard

COMMON NAME : Clouded Leopard / Macan Dahan / Macan

SCIENTIFIC NAME : Neofelis diardi

TYPE : Mammals

DIET : Carnivore

SIZE : Head and body: 4 to 6 feets

WEIGHT : up to 50 pounds

IUCN RED LIST STATUS : Vulnerable

CURRENT POPULATION TREND : Decreasing

Most cats are good climbers, but the clouded leopard is near the top of its class. These big cats can even hang upside down beneath large branches, using their large paws and sharp claws to secure a good grip. Clouded leopards have short, powerful legs equipped with rotating rear ankles that allow them to safely downclimb in a headfirst posture—much like a common squirrel. Sharp eyesight helps them judge distances well, and the cats use their long tails to maintain balance. (National Geographic Website)

Sunda clouded leopard is the second largest cat in Sumatra (Mossbrucker, 2020). The tail is long, nearly as long as the head and body, and the legs are short and stout, ending in borad paws. The ears are relatively short and rounded, and the backs of the ears are black with a central grayish spot (Sunquist and Sunquist, 2002). The coat is grayish-golden, with typical cloud-like patterns underlined in black. The Sunda clouded leopard has large spots on its feet and belly, and a double midline on its back. Very long, striped and spotted tail. Often walks with open jaws, showing long canine teeth (approximately 5 cm long).

Though clouded leopards are great climbers, scientists believe that they do most of their hunting on the ground, feasting on deer, pigs, monkeys, and smaller fare such as squirrels or birds. They are aided in their hunting by the largest canine teeth (proportionate to body size) of any wild cat. Scientists are not sure exactly how clouded leopards act in the wild. They are probably solitary animals, like most cats. Females give birth to a litter of one to five cubs every year, and the young leopards remain dependent upon their mother for about ten months. (National Geographic Website)

Sunda clouded leopard can be found in both primary and secondary forests and at various elevations, from peat swamps to steep hills. In Sumatra, comparatively low densities of < 2 individuals/ 100km² are reported. The species feeds on various prey animals including chevrotains, porcupines, wild boar, bearded pig, muntjac, sambar deer, and primates (Mossbrucker, 2020).