Assam: Clouded leopard caught on camera for the first time preying on Bengal slow loris
In a remarkable breakthrough for wildlife research, the first-ever photographic evidence of a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) preying on a Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) has been documented in Assam's Dehing Patkai National Park.
Captured on December 7, 2024, by a camera trap installed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, this rare image offers new insights into the predatory behavior of one of Asia's most elusive big cats.
The image, which was captured along a woodland route in the Digboi woodland Division's Saraipung range, shows a clouded leopard holding a Bengal slow loris by the nape.
Because the clouded leopard is a nocturnal and elusive creature, it has been difficult to research its food; this new observation helps us better understand it.
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Dehing Patkai National Park, upgraded from a wildlife sanctuary in 2021, spans 234.26 square kilometers and is part of the larger 937-square-kilometer Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. It is the only protected forest in India that hosts eight wild cat species, including the tiger, common leopard, fishing cat, golden cat, marbled cat, jungle cat, and leopard cat.
The camera trap project involved dividing the park into 2-square-kilometer grids, with 95 camera traps strategically placed to monitor the feline population. This systematic approach led to the groundbreaking capture of the clouded leopard's predation event.
The study's lead researcher, Bilal Habib, underlined the significance of the discovery, saying that it advances our knowledge of the diet and predatory habits of clouded leopards and emphasises the need for conservation initiatives for both species.
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The nocturnal primate noted for its poisonous bite, the Bengal slow loris, is classified as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. Its observation as clouded leopard prey increases our understanding of predator-prey dynamics in this biodiverse area.
This finding highlights the importance of camera traps in wildlife research by providing insight into the covert lifestyles of elusive species and guiding conservation efforts to save these distinctive residents of the northeastern rainforests of India.
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