Clouded Leopard

The Indian clouded leopard with the zoological name "Neofelis nebulosa" is one among the cats family and is an arboreal animal.

It said to be an intermediate of the big and small cats because of its characteristic that it can neither roar nor purr. It is of the order Carnivora and the family Felidae.

There are two species of clouded leopard existing around the world. These are found from Himalayan foot hills through mainland Southeast Asia into China. The classification is as specified below

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Felidae
Subfamily	Pantherinae
Genus	Neofelis
Species	N. nebulosa

Physical Structure

Clouded leopards are distinct from other cats with their wonderful patterned markings. The tan of these cats has large, irregular-shaped, dark ellipses or cloud like markings outlined with black color all over the body. The fur is yellow brown or earthy brown in color and its looks paler in the under parts. It has a thick and long tail which helps them in balancing their body while climbing trees. The ears are round and short with black grayish color.

It has short and flexible legs with broad paws and sharp claws. They are brilliant climbers and can hang upside-down holding the branches. The body length of the Clouded leopard is 55-110 cm with the weight ranging from 12-23 kg. They are 23 to 40 cm tall at the shoulders. The tail length measures between 20 and 30 inches. It possesses 2 inches long canine teeth. The powerful jaws and the big upper canine teeth aid them to kill deer and other large animals. These animals prefer being isolated rather in groups.

Clouded leopards stay comfortable in tropical and subtropical forests in various parts of India at an attitude of 1,450 – 2,000 meters and with temperature ranging between 18 and 49 °C.

They can also be found in other habitats like mangrove swamp forest, mixed evergreen forests, dry deciduous forest, dense tropical forests, shrubs and grasslands.

Their distribution is mainly in the eastern Himalayan region, Sikkim, Assam, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura. Other countries include China, Taiwan, Borneo, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.

Places Found

Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary: This is a wildlife sanctuary, UNESCO Natural World Heritage place, a Project Tiger Reserve. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is conterminous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan. Manas Tiger reserve was created in 1973; total area of the sanctuary is 360 kms. The name of the park originated from the Manas River, which is named after the snake goddess Manasa.

Namdapha National Park: Namdapha National park is located in the district called Changlang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India with an area of 1985 sq kms. The Namdapha National park is considered as the most evergreen forest and rainy forest in the north eastern parts. The wild life seen here are Clouded Leopard, Red fox, Red Panda, Eurasian otter, wild boars, Capped langurs, Small and Large Indian cavet, hog deer, sambar, Gaur, common Gibbons and bharal.

Jim Corbett National Park: The Jim Corbett National Park is located in Ramnagar in the district of Nainital, Uttaranchal, at the foothills of Himalayas. The biggest attraction in this park is the wide variety of wildlife, breathtaking natural vegetation and trekking trails. The usual way to explore the Jim Corbett's park is through the Jeep or Elephant safaris. It is one of the most popular tourists place. It is the house of 50 species of mammals, variety of faunas and floras. The most common animals are Clouded Leopard, Deer, Royal Bengal tiger, Indian elephants, Para or Hog Deer, Barking deer, Wild boar, Chital, etc.

Balphakram National Park: Balphakram National Park is a fertile land located in southern part of Meghalaya, to the west of the Caro hills with an area of 220 square kilometers.

The fauna here includes Clouded Leopard, Indian Elephant, Leopard, Bengal Tiger, Wild Buffalo, Muntjac (Barking Deer) and Gaur (Indian Bison).

Neora Valley National Park : Neora Valley National Park is one of the richest parks with good biodiversity situated in the Kalimpong area in Darjeeling district. The fauna here includes Clouded leopard, red panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Gaur, leopard, Himalayan Thar, Goral, Deer and Squirrels.

Food Habits

These arboreal animals are carnivore and catch their prey by jumping from trees. Their prey include various terrestrial and arboreal mammals like birds, gibbons, proboscis monkey, wild pig, macaques, deer, bush-tailed porcupines, birds, small mammals, domestic animals like goat and sheep, reptiles, squirrels, Muntjac, wild boar, hog deer and peacock. They hunt on grounds during the night hours and prefer trees at the day time.

Mating Behaviour

Usually both male and female clouded leopard attain maturity at the age of 2 years. The mating happens throughout the year. The gestation period lasts for about 85-93 days. After which they deliver cubs ranging from one to five. The cubs are blind during birth and weigh about 140 – 290 grams. The spots are dark and solid rather than having dark rings. Cubs become active within five weeks and are weaned until three month from its birth. The cubs isolate from its mother after ten months. At times the male kills female during mating. The cubs gains it adult fur pattern at its age of six months. Their average lifespan is about 11 years.

Subspecies of Indian Clouded Leopard

• Neofelis nebulosa brachyurus: found in Taiwan but now it is probably extinct in the wild.



• Neofelis nebulosa diardi: Found in areas like Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
• Neofelis nebulosa macrosceloides: Found in areas of Nepal to Burma.
• Neofelis nebulosa nebulosa: Found in areas of Southern China to East Burma.

Population of Clouded Leopards in India

The total population of Clouded Leopard has been calculated to be 10,000 numbers which is decreasing year by year. It is listed in Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red list has classified the species as "vulnerable" with subject to the habitat loss, increasing deforestation rate and illegal trade.

Threats to Indian Clouded Leopard

The threats to Indian clouded leopard include habitat loss due to deforestation and poaching. Due to the increase in human population the deforestation rate has been increased which resulted in the habitat loss for the Indian clouded leopard. These cats are being hunted for their skins, claws, teeth, meat and bones which serve various purposes and been traded illegally. It is said that the bones serves some medicinal purpose.

Conservation Effort in India


Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has banned the illegal trade of clouded leopards across various countries like India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Taiwan. In captivity, officials have taken steps to decrease the number of females killed by male during mating.

Interesting Facts

1. It is the fastest climber among all the species under cat family.
2. The bones of the clouded leopard are used to manufacture tonics and medicines.
3. Their maximum lifespan in captivity is 17 years.
4. Their ankle joints are so agile which helps them to climb down trees head first.
5. In China, Clouded leopards are called as 'Mint leopard', In Malayan they are named as 'Tree Tiger'.
6. Clouded leopards of India belong to the Neofelis Genus and are known by the scientific name of Neofelis nebulosa.
7. Excellent tree climbers, they have large paws, sharp claws and a tail almost as long as their body.
8. Clouded leopards may grow to a height of 60 cm to 110 cm and may weigh upto 23 kg.
9. They attain maturity after two years of birth and the number of their offspring may be anywhere between one and five.