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Kuala Lumpur. The Sundaland clouded leopard, a newly identified and little understood species of big cat in Borneo, has been filmed for the first time.

The leopard, a healthy-looking animal a meter long and weighing about 40 kilograms, was caught on video at night at the Dermakot Forest Reserve in Malaysia’s Sabah state.

“What surprised us was that while clouded leopards are very elusive cats, this one was not scared at all,” said Azlan Mohamed, a field scientist with University Sabah Malaysia.

“It is rare to see the big cat in the wild. These cats are usually shy of humans, it was by chance we caught it on video.”

The Sundaland clouded leopard was classified as a new species through genetic studies several years ago and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature designated it as endangered in 2008. Previously all clouded leopards living on the Southeast Asian mainland were thought to be the same species.

Azlan said the species was the biggest predator in Borneo. Because of their nocturnal habits, secretive behavior and small numbers, little is known about the beasts, including how many of them are living in Borneo.

This big cat can be found in lowland rainforest in Borneo and in small numbers in areas of logged forest. But environmentalists say the clouded leopard faces the threat of poaching while rapid deforestation and the creation of rubber and oil-palm plantations in Borneo are destroying its natural habitat.



Agence France-Presse