In a first in India, rare clouded leopard spotted in Nagaland mountains

For the first time, researchers have spotted a clouded leopard in a community forest in Nagaland. The animal was photographed at an altitude of 3,700 metres along the Indo-Myanmar border. Clouded leopards are known for its spotted coat and inhabit in the primary evergreen rainforests.

These images were captured and published in the Winter 2021 issue of the Cat News. It is a biannual newsletter printed by the IUCN/Species Survival Commission (SSC) Cat Specialist Group. Experts captured the images after laying a camera trap and the pictures confirmed the highest records in the country of a clouded leopard.

“In total, we have evidence of at least two adults and two cubs. Two distinct individuals were photos captured at a camera placed above the tree line at 3,700 m close to the summit of Mt. Saramati,” researchers said in a report.

The research was directed by a Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), which is a Delhi-based Non-Profit organisation.

Who are these clouded leopards?

Under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this tree-climbing clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is the smallest of the large wild cats. They are a medium-sized field wild cat who are categorised as ‘vulnerable’.

Clouded leopards have short and powerful legs with rotating rear ankles that make them avid climbers. They are also known to be the best in their class. With their rotating rear ankles, these clouded leopards are able to climb up fast and also hang upside down by using their sharp claws and large paws.

Experts believe that these clouded leopards mostly hunt on the ground and feast on animals like monkeys, pigs, deer and sometimes on squirrels or birds, as per National Geographic.

Reports also suggest these species are usually found in Asia especially from the rainforests of Indonesia to the Himalayas. As little is known about their population, these animals are also considered to be vulnerable.

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