Clouded Leopard Neofelis nebulosa

The Clouded Leopard is a secretive, mainly nocturnal, cat native to tropical forests of the southern Himalayas, northern Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, China and Malayasia.

It is sometimes called the Mainland Clouded Leopard to differentiate from the Sunda Clouded Leopard of Sumatra and Borneo which has been split out as a separate species, N. diardi. Despite the apparently large range, the Clouded Leopard is rare, endangered and hunted for its attractive pelt.

The Clouded Leopard sleeps most of the day in trees, hunting at dusk and night. It is typically solitary or in a pair.

It is some 2-3 feet long excluding the tail, which is another 2-3 feet. The "clouded" pattern is effective camouflage in the forests where it lives.

Prey includes small monkeys, squirrels, small deer, wild pigs and birds.

In addition to hunting, habitat destruction (forest clearance) has decimated numbers and the population is classed as vulnerable.