Density of Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) in Gunung Basor-Stong Utara Forest Reserve, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

To date, much of the information on the clouded leopard study were more focus on Sunda clouded leopard. With the advance of technology, the use of camera trap had enhanced the opportunity for all researchers to study more deeply on species of interest in more intensely larger scale and cost benefit. This paper presents the density estimate of clouded leopard in Gunung Basor-Stong Utara Forest Complex (GB-SUFC). A total of 19 individuals of clouded leopard (14 males, 5 unknown) had been identified. Based on the spatial explicit capture-recapture model (SECR). The estimate density of the clouded leopard in GB-SUFC was (D^±SE) 1.15±0.35 adult clouded leopard/100km2. Results from this study will serve as an important baseline on the population density of clouded leopard in GB-SUFC and provides more information on clouded leopard population and ecology especially in Peninsular Malaysia and could also potentially guide and assist the authorities in formulating crucial conservation plans for this threatened species.

Secrets of the clouded leopard: abundance, habitat use and carnivore coexistence in tropical forest of Manas National Park, Assam, India

“…The closure test value from this study was similar to those found previously for clouded leopards and other carnivores (Karanth et al, 2006; Mondol et al, 2009; Singh & Macdonald, 2017). Our trapping period was shorter than most recent studies on clouded leopards (Mohamad et al, 2015; Singh & Macdonald, 2017; Ab Razak et al, 2019; Petersen et al, 2020), increasing the likelihood that the assumption of closure is valid. Our density estimate of 1.73 individuals per 100 km 2 is comparable to or lower than estimates from two sites in India (4.73/100 km 2 , Borah et al, 2014; 5.14/100 km 2 , Singh & Macdonald, 2017), one site each in Thailand (edge, 3.13/100 km 2 ; core, 5.06/100 km 2 ; Petersen et al, 2020), Malaysia (1.15/100 km 2 , Ab Razak et al, 2019) and Bhutan (0.40/100 km 2 , Penjor et al, 2018), two sites in Myanmar (0.60 and 3.05/100 km 2 , Naing et al, 2019) and two sites in Peninsular Malaysia (1.83 and 3.46/100 km 2 , Mohamad et al, 2015; Table 4, Supplementary Fig.…”

“…Only a few ecological studies on the mainland clouded leopard have been published, primarily from radio-collared individuals in Thailand (Grassman et al, 2005; Austin et al, 2010) and Nepal (Dinerstein & Mehta, 1989), and more recently through camera trapping (India: Borah et al, 2014; Singh & Macdonald, 2017; Malaysia: Mohamad et al, 2015; Ab Razak et al, 2019; Bhutan: Penjor et al, 2018; Myanmar: Naing et al, 2019; Thailand: Petersen et al, 2020). Two of these seven camera-trapping studies used the Bayesian method to estimate density (Singh & Macdonald, 2017; Naing et al, 2019), four used the maximum likelihood approach (Borah et al, 2014; Mohamad et al, 2015, Ab Razak et al, 2019; Petersen et al, 2020) and one used both methods (Penjor et al, 2018). The estimated density ranged from 0.30 individuals (large areas of southern Bhutan; Penjor et al, 2018) to 5.14 individuals (Dampa Tiger Reserve, India; Singh & MacDonald, 2017) per 100 km 2 .…”

Distribution Pattern and Activities of Felidae and Prey in Bukit Rimbang Bukit Baling Wildlife Reserve, Riau

“…Temporally, clouded leopards were active at night (nocturnal) (57%), and previous research showed similar results. Research in Malaysia (Rufino et al 2009) reported high activity of clouded leopards during the night (58%), while in Basor Mountain, Kelantan, nocturnal activity accounted for 73% (Hamirul et al 2019). In the concession area of Tigapuluh Hill, nocturnal activity accounted for 49% (Lestari 2018).…”