A rare sighting from deep in the forest of Borneo has given conservationists hope that the vulnerable clouded leopard is on the prowl.
In April, the Orangutan Foundation and Tanjung Puting National Park captured video of a mother and two cubs hopping through a thicket. One of the cubs even stopped to take a long look at the camera.
The Bornean clouded leopard is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, according to the foundation. The animal is endangered partly because of its low recruitment rate; few adults produce and raise offspring until they are two years old, at which point they join the breeding population.
Deforestation has taken its toll on the leopard, which relies on forests for habitat. The foundation said in a news release that more than two-thirds of the animals have been killed in recent years.
On Instagram, it noted this was the first time a mother and two offspring had been recorded.
“For the population to be reproducing is an incredibly encouraging sign,” it stated.
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Clouded leopards are known for their long tails, which match the length of their bodies, and teeth, which can reach 2 inches. The canine fangs are the longest of any feline, according to the Felidae Conservation Fund.
The big cats prey on monkeys, deer, pigs, and sometimes birds and reptiles. Population estimates vary from 5,000 to 11,000 in Borneo and 3,000 to 7,000 in Sumatra.
This sighting shows how important trail cameras are for scientists and researchers, who rely on the tool to track species diversity and distribution. A similar trap in Nigeria recently showed a pair of the rarest apes in the world. They can also help catch poachers.
Elsewhere in Indonesia, conservationists are trying to save the Sumatran rhino, of which fewer than 50 remain.
“The clouded leopard is an arboreal species and excellent hunter on the ground that plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem,” Orangutan Foundation research manager A. Yoga Perdana said. “As one of the rarest species to find, being able to see a female and cubs gives us evidence that they are healthy and actively breeding.”
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