About the Clouded Leopard
The clouded leopard is arguably the most beautiful of all wild cats, its striking coat patterned with large cloud-like blotches of dark brown on pale ochre. Despite its name, it is not closely related to the common leopard — it represents an entirely separate lineage and is the smallest of the so-called "big cats". In India, clouded leopards inhabit the dense rainforests of northeast India and are one of the signature species of Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh — the only park on earth known to harbour all four of India's big cat species.
Clouded leopards are highly arboreal and extraordinarily agile in trees, capable of hanging from branches by their hind feet and descending headfirst down vertical trunks. They possess the longest canine teeth relative to skull size of any living cat, an adaptation for killing large prey. Due to their nocturnal, forest-interior habits, clouded leopards are among the most rarely photographed wild cats in Asia, and an encounter in the wild is considered one of the holy grails of Indian wildlife watching.
- Camera traps are the primary way scientists study clouded leopards. Joining a research expedition in Namdapha is the best way to see evidence of their presence.
- Dense understorey near river valleys in northeast India — particularly in Arunachal Pradesh — is prime habitat. Dawn forest walks with skilled trackers occasionally yield sightings.
- Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka and the forests of Coorg also harbour clouded leopards but sightings are extremely rare.