About Clouded Leopard

• The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a wild cat found in dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas to mainland Southeast Asia and South China.
• It has large dusky-grey blotches and irregular spots and stripes on a dark grey or ochreous fur, resembling clouds, hence its name.
• It is the first cat that genetically diverged from the common ancestor of the pantherine cats around 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago.
• Currently, the clouded leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• It is listed in CITES Appendix I, and protected in most of its range.

Habitat in India

• It inhabits dense forests in states such as Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is the State animal of Meghalaya (Note: Clouded Leopard National Park is located in Tripura).

Features of Clouded Leopards

• The mainland clouded leopard is agile and strong, often compared to the Ice Age sabretooth due to its large canines.
• It has rotating rear ankles that enable it to climb down headfirst from trees, distinguishing it from other felines.
• The cat has cloud-like spots on its hide, making it easily identifiable.

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