Asia Trail Photo Gallery 
Clouded Leopard—Little Big Cat in Peril
When you hear big cats, which do you think of?
A. Lions
B. Tigers
C. Clouded leopards
Most people would pick A and B. Few people even know about clouded leopards.
At 25 to 50 pounds, clouded leopards are the smallest of the big cats. They have the body size and shape of small cats but the teeth and skull structure of the big ones. Clouded leopards have the largest canine teeth of all living cats relative to body size.
Named for the cloud-like spots that provide camouflage in their forest habitat, clouded leopards range from the countries of the Himalayas, southern China, peninsular Malaysia and Indo-China, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is thought to be extinct in Taiwan and possibly Nepal. In 2006, scientists determined that the clouded leopards living on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo are a distinct species, called Neofelis diardi. Those from mainland Asia and Taiwan are called Neofelis nebulosa, but the species may be extinct in Taiwan. The Zoo's species, and the one found in almost all zoos, is N. nebulosa 
See Clouded Leopard Times Two.
There's a question about whether clouded leopards are arboreal species—strongly tied to dense tropical evergreen forest—or terrestrial cats that hunt on the ground and now often uses roads and trails in logged forests. The answer is probably somewhere in between—clouded leopards can hunt both in trees and on the ground. While there are no firm population estimates, fewer than 10,000 of these cats are thought to remain in the wild, and they are considered to be in decline throughout their range.
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| The clouded leopard is highly adapted to life in the trees. |
Agile Climbers
Clouded leopards are one of the best climbers in the cat family. They can climb a branch upside down and descend from a tree head-first like a squirrel. These cats have some pretty amazing adaptations for life in the trees—short and stout legs for leverage, a low center of gravity, large paws with sharp claws for gripping, a long tail for balancing, and flexible ankle joints in the hind feet for rotation. Clouded leopards are opportunistic predators, hunting a variety of arboreal and terrestrial animals such as birds, monkeys, pigs, cattle, goats, porcupine, and deer.
Clouded Facts
- The Lukai people of Thailand believe that the clouded leopard is their spiritual ancestor who led them to their homeland.
- Litters of two to five young are born after a gestation period of 86 to 93 days. Clouded leopards reach sexual maturity in one year.
- Clouded leopards have been known to live up to 17 years in zoos.
- The strongest population of clouded leopards appears to be that in Borneo, possibly because it lacks leopards and tigers, which compete with the smaller cat for space and prey.
Survival in Jeopardy
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the popularity of garments made from pelts of leopards and other spotted cats prompted concern that they could be hunted to extinction. Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty enacted in the mid-1970s, international trade in spotted cats (including clouded leopards), their pelts, and body parts was banned. This initiative proved successful in reducing trade in spotted cats and their products.
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| The majority of captive clouded leopards are genetically valuable, wild-born animals which have been donated to zoos or confiscated from poachers. |
However, in recent years, illegal trade has become a renewed threat to the spotted cats of Asia where their pelts are now sought as luxuries, prestige symbols, and clothing. Leopard bones are used in traditional Asian medicine and are sometimes prescribed as substitutes for tiger bones for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Ironically, actions to control the trade in tiger parts may have actually increased pressure on other cats, including the clouded leopard. Clouded leopard has even appeared on the menu of restaurants in Thailand and China serving wealthy tourists. The cat's future is also jeopardized by the conversion of its forest habitat to agriculture, poisoning by villagers wishing to eliminate predators that attack their livestock, and losses of prey species to human consumption.
Keeping the Cat Away from the Brink
International conservation organizations like the World Wildlife Fund are pursuing a variety of initiatives to help ensure clouded leopards and other Asian spotted cats a future in the wild. Two noteworthy projects include:
- Monitoring illegal trade in cat bones and other body parts.
- Increasing legal protections for these cats and improving enforcement.
Zoos worldwide are trying to preserve the genetic diversity of the species through zoo breeding and research. Clouded leopards present a challenge because of the high incidence of aggression between males and females, making the species one of the most difficult to breed. To address this problem, zoo management practices now recommend the introduction of paired males and females before one year of age. This seems to result in better bonding and less aggression. Other problems in zoo populations in North America have been high infant mortality, limited breeding even between known pairs, and diminishing genetic diversity.
The National Zoo Joins an International Conservation Effort
Scientists at the National Zoo are pioneers in cat reproductive biology, including cutting-edge technologies to protect and preserve cats' genetic diversity. Animal-care staff at the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center (CRC) in Front Royal, Virginia, are experts in breeding clouded leopards. More than 70 have been born at this facility. Drawing on this expertise, the Zoo is collaborating with the Nashville Zoo, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's Clouded Leopard Species Survival Program, and a group of zoos in the Thailand to establish the Clouded Leopard Consortium. This initiative seeks to create a world-class center to improve captive breeding success and nutrition for the cats, increase knowledge about the species, and build conservation know-how in Thailand.
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| Day-old clouded leopards born in a Thailand zoo. These captive-born cubs were the result of careful handling and expert knowledge brought together in the Clouded Leopard Consortium. |
At Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo, the consortium currently has a population of 28 clouded leopards. Since its work began in 2002, scientists have discovered that imbalanced diets and stress associated with inappropriate housing are related to poor reproduction of clouded leopards in breeding programs. Based on these findings, the program's clouded leopards were moved from small, stress-inducing enclosures to large, vegetation-rich ones with nest boxes, and they were given a more balanced diet. To date, these efforts have been rewarded with nine clouded leopard cubs, suggesting that the consortium's multidisciplinary approach may serve as a model for other cat breeding and management programs.
CRC has several clouded leopards. Some of these animals are now quite old. These cats participate in various health and reproduction studies at CRC. In addition, CRC's clouded leopards are involved in a number of management studies focused on reducing their stress levels.
This little-known leopard also lives in a state-of-the-art exhibit on the Zoo's new Asia Trail. This exhibit gives visitors an up-close treetop view of two young clouded leopards. People have a chance to see the cats bounce from limb to limb and take a nap up in the branches.
Adopt a Leopard
The clouded leopard has not fared well over the last century. However, thanks to diverse international conservation efforts, technological discoveries, and greater public awareness about the cat and its needs, it has a greater chance to survive. Adopt a clouded leopard and help support the Zoo's important conservation programs for this little big cat, as well as exhibit improvement, equipment, and medical care for these endangered felines and the 2,000 other animals that live at the National Zoo and CRC.
Because your contribution is dedicated to animal care, you truly make a difference!
Photos by Jessie Cohen/NZP
