Extinct clouded leopard found in Bangladesh
A rare clouded leopard, previously thought to be extinct in the region, was recently discovered by tribal villagers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts area of India.
The rare animal is actually classified under the “critically endangered” category established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature with fewer than 100,000 animals still alive throughout the world.
Villagers in the region often capture small animals which are later sold to collectors. In this case, however, alert conservationists stumbled upon the find and persuaded the villagers to release the leopard back into the wild. The baby leopard had been kept in a cage for three weeks.
According to Anwarul Islam of the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh, “Locals stumbled upon two cubs and their mother eating a monkey in the district of Rangimati three weeks ago. They were only able to capture one cub. It was tremendous news because many conservationists thought the animal was extinct from Bangladesh due to habitat loss.”
The rare species of leopard is nocturnal and very shy. Very little research has been done on the animal. It mainly inhabits areas of Southeast Asia. The last time a clouded leopard was seen in this region of Bangladesh was almost 5 years ago.
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