Dr. Lon GrassmanFeline Research Center, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute,Texas A&M University-Kingsville,Kingsville, TX 78363

Is the sabertooth alive and well in the forests of Southest Asia? Well, not exactly, but the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) does have the longest canines relative to body size of any of the extant wild felids (see right). The reasons for this morphological trait are unknown, but they are thought to aid in increased killing and grasping abilities necessary for arboreal prey. In fact, although known to science for more than 200 years, hardly any concrete data existed on this beautiful, elusive, threatened cat prior to my study in Thailand in 1999. Most information on clouded leopard natural history was mainly anecdotal and painted a consistent theme of a highly arboreal felid that pounced on prey from overhanging branches. Not much else was known. The short legs and long tail of the clouded leopard no doubt helped to support this arboreal opinion. However, camera trapping studies from Thailand, Borneo, and other areas of Southeast Asia have revealed a more terrestrial cat than previously assumed. These questions and more formed the impetus for my study.

I originally went to Thailand in 1996 to study leopards (Panthera pardus) and other carnivores as part of my Master’s degree research. My motivation then, as now, was the lack of research effort on the felid community in Southeast Asia. In particular, the small wild cats had been largely ignored in the region. I applied to several universities in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, but only one school – Kasetsart University in Bangkok – was willing to accept an American student who

had the strange idea of trapping and radio-tracking wild cats. I served as a guinea pig for the graduate school, which had never accepted a North American student. After passing the mandatory English exam (I never did learn what my score was), I was on my way. The subsequent three years studying leopards, leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), and civets in Kaeng Krachan National Park honed my research and Thai language abilities, and further reinforced my love for Thailand and its wildlife. Perhaps my first important lesson learned was to never release an angry leopard from a trap at close quarters (see next page).

Upon completion of my Master’s research, I remained in Thailand to focus on my next research project. While working for the Faculty of Forestry at Kasetsart University in 1999, a Thai friend who worked at the Royal Forest Department showed

me some amazing camera trapping photos that greatly helped me to focus on a study site. The photos were from one trap-site, covered a two-week period, and showed four different clouded leopards walking along an animal trail. Additionally, a pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), potential clouded leopard prey, was photographed on the same trail. I was hooked. This area clearly held potential for a long-overdue clouded leopard study. The name of the area: Phu Khieo (green mountain) Wildlife Sanctuary in north-central Thailand.

During the transition to begin this study, I was invited by Dr. Mike Tewes to join the Doctoral degree program at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Mike, the foremost ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) expert in the U.S., wanted to expand the geographic scope of the Feline Research Center and saw this research as a good opportunity to this end. Additionally,

Above: The clouded leopard has the perfect teeth of a predator and the longest canines relative to body size of any living felid.

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Sean Austin, a doctoral student of Mike’s, had just captured and radio-collared the first clouded leopard in Khao Yai National Park. The timing was perfect for a long-term study.

I worked in Phu Khieo for four years trapping, radio-collaring, and tracking seven carnivore species, including clouded leopard, leopard cat, Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), and marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata). During this time, I logged almost 28,000 trap-nights, and captured 456 animals that represented 31 species. Clouded leopards proved exceptionally difficult to capture with box-traps, with just four clouded leopards captured (conversely, 69 leopard cats were captured during the same period). Similarly, Sean Austin captured two clouded leopards in Khao Yai with about 10,000 trap-nights.

The study of clouded leopards consisted of two adult males and two adult females, of which one was in late term pregnancy. All cats were in excellent health and had perfect dentition. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Mammalogy in 2005, but a summary of clouded leopard ecological patterns are as follows:

I used 330 radio locations to calculate range size for the four clouded leopards. Overall, range sizes varied from 22.9 to 51.0 km2, with a small core area of about 6.0 km2. I believe female clouded leopard CF1 gave birth soon after her capture, as evidenced by a small and intensively used core area that was probably related to den use. Clouded leopard young are reported to den in tree hollows, but nothing else is known about rearing habits in the wild. I used telemetry and close approach to identify the area of the potential den site but failed to locate cubs. A search within a 200 m radius identified a large impenetrable thicket of dead

Don’t try this at home - or anywhere elseWhen this sedated leopard (top image) was released back into the wild, the author was too close for comfort. Its attack (middle image) made a lasting impression on the author (bottom image), resulting in cuts along the forearm.

Top: Radio-collared clouded leopard from Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand. Upper left: The diminutive and common leopard cat. Upper right: The striking and rare marbled cat; a smaller version of the clouded leopard. Lower left: Brown phase Asiatic golden cat; a “mini-cougar.” Lower right: Melanistic phase Asiatic golden cat.

branches from several fallen trees and vegetation that may have contained a den.

Each clouded leopard range overlapped a conspecific with the greatest range of overlap occurring between males and females; however, intra-male overlap also was considerable. Distances between consecutive-day locations averaged about 2 km. Clouded leopard ranges encompassed three vegetation types – closed forest (84% coverage), open forest grassland (15.5% coverage), and abandoned orchard (0.5% coverage) – in addition to major

streams and the main paved road.Clouded leopards were active

during 58% of activity readings. Diel activity patterns indicated that clouded leopards exhibited arrhythmic activity with peak activity occurring between 0801–1200 hours and 1801–2000 hours. Nocturnal activity peaks were observed between 2001–2200 hours and 0001–0200 hours.

Results of scat analysis indicated a diverse prey selection. Clouded leopards consumed diurnal and nocturnal prey, which was consistent with data on their activity patterns. Scat analysis from two trapped

clouded leopards contained the remains of slow loris (Nycticebus coucang), a nocturnal primate. Evidence of clouded leopards using open grassland habitat for foraging at night was obtained for a male clouded leopard CM2. This cat used the grasslands at night for hunting hog deer (Axis porcinus) and muntjak (Muntiacus muntjak), which were observed to bed down en masse after sunset. Examination of a dead male hog deer found in grasslands near the previous night location of male CM2 indicated a clouded leopard attack. Examination revealed two narrow canine punctures through the spine above the shoulder. The canine punctures were deep (ca 3 cm) and separated by 3 cm. In addition, the shoulder and flank of the deer showed several claw scrapes typical of felid attacks. The puncture depth and spacing closely matched the canines of CM2, or perhaps another clouded leopard. The injury was not caused by a leopard because leopards did not occur around this area. This clouded leopard was located on eight occasions resting along the forest edge before venturing into the grasslands at night. Clouded leopards are generally believed to occur in primary evergreen forests, but they also have been reported in secondary, logged forests, coastal hardwood forests, coniferous forests, and in grasslands. Sean Austin recorded a female clouded leopard using a semi-evergreen (closed forest) beyond what was typically available.

A combination of terrestrial camera trap, personal observations, and live trapping suggested that clouded leopards traveled on the ground more than previously reported in the literature. Mel and Fiona Sunquist theorize that although clouded leopards are able to hunt on the ground, large terrestrial predators may cause clouded leopards to hunt

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Below: The author holding a clouded leopard.

more arboreal prey. Tiger and leopard densities were low in Phu Khieo, whereas dholes (or Asiatic wild dogs, Cuon alpinus) were more common. Dholes were observed individually and in packs on numerous occasions. Clouded leopards would likely avoid confrontations with this dominant predator and their movements may have been influenced by dhole presence. However, evidence of clouded leopards using trees was documented as well. Female CF2 was approached by honing in on her radio signal until she jumped from a large, low (ca 3.0 m) evergreen tree branch from which she was resting. Directly under this position were the remains of a recently killed pangolin (Manis javanicus). From the beginning of the close approach until the observation, the radio signal pulse indicated this individual was resting in the tree before our disturbance and was not driven up the tree. So, in the end, the question as to the degree of arboreality of clouded leopards still remains a mystery.

What is known for certain about clouded leopards is that they are threatened by habitat loss. While clouded leopards can on occasion use grasslands and other open habitats, they still fundamentally require proximity to dense evergreen forests. As the forests go, so too will the clouded leopards. In the last decade, this species has gone extinct in Taiwan, due mainly to human pressure. Although camera trapping has helped map clouded leopard distribution throughout its range, the persistence of this species has yet to be addressed in most of the range countries. As with all wildlife conservation issues, habitat must be set aside for the survival of wild cats – a simple objective with a complicated and often expensive cost.

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