The Himalayan mountains are one of the harshest environments in the world.
Strong winds and cold air make it hard for any creatures to survive there, and now, an animal native to the forests of southeast Asia has been spotted there for the first time — more than 600 miles from home.
Researchers studying the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southern Tibet installed 200 infrared camera traps in the summer of 2023, hoping to catch a glimpse of cat species in the area, according to a study published March 20 in the peer-reviewed journal Oryx.
The reserve is in the “core region of the Himalayas” and considered a “temperate semi-monsoon climate,” researchers said, as opposed to the snowy peaks the mountain range is known for.
Just one month after the cameras were installed, two separate traps captured images of a clouded leopard, one on Sept. 9 and a second on Sept. 16, according to the study.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documentation of the clouded leopard in Jilong County, (about 620 miles) from the species’ previously recognized habitat in Medog County,” researchers said.
“This discovery suggests there may be other potential clouded leopard habitats in China beyond the four currently recognized sites,” researchers said. “Additionally, the new record is close to two locations in Nepal where the clouded leopard has been recorded: Langtang National Park (31 miles away) and Annapurna Conservation Area (186 miles away). This region may serve as a migration corridor for clouded leopards.”
Clouded leopards are listed as a vulnerable species, with fewer than 6,000 adults estimated to be living in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
The animals have been recorded in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand, and are suspected to also be present in Vietnam, according to the IUCN.
Clouded leopards have “experienced significant population declines over the past decade, driven by habitat loss and overexploitation,” according to the study.
The elusive animals are considered “one of the most ancient cat species,” and are neither a true small cat, like an African wildcat, nor a big cat like a lion or tiger, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Clouded leopards have a unique ability to open their mouths to a 100-degree angle, making them capable of taking down significant prey, whether hunting from a tree or the ground, according to the Smithsonian. They are one of only a few species capable of climbing down headfirst from trees.
They are identifiable by their “brown or yellowish-gray” coat with “irregular dark stripes, spots and blotches,” as well as their “proportionately short legs” and “long tail,” the Smithsonian says.
Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is in south-central Tibet, an autonomous region controlled by China.
The research team includes Yu Ding, Nan Wu, Yixuan Liu, Hua Zhong, Lhaba Cering and Kun Shi.
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