Pair of rare jungle predators seen prowling Thailand park, trail camera video shows
A pair of leopards was recently seen prowling through a sprawling park in Thailand, video footage shows.
The rare feline predators were picked up by a trail camera in Kaeng Krachan National Park, which spans across about 1,000 square miles near the Myanmar border.
The camera footage — posted by Thai conservation officials on Feb. 15 — shows the animals sauntering down a tree-lined path on two different dates in late December, once under cover of darkness and once in the daylight.
At one point, one of the leopards can be seen stopping, licking its paw and glancing around the forest.
One of the animals is black, or melanistic — an uncommon trait caused by recessive genes, which is estimated to be present in about 1 in 10 leopards, according to Britannica.
The other animal is lighter in complexion, and is believed to be the black leopard's cub.
The footage highlights the importance of conserving the Thai forest, which is home to numerous rare animals, officials said.
It is also the second reported sighting in recent days. On Feb. 10, park visitors spotted a black leopard lazily strolling down a trail before disappearing into the forest, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News.
Leopards, also known as panthers, are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and large portions of the Middle East and Asia, according to the IUCN Red List. After an assessment in 2023, they were listed as vulnerable.
A 2024 study found that their densities in Thailand and Cambodia were low and that densities throughout Southeast Asia were 'some of the lowest ever reported for the species.'
'Our findings suggest the overall prognosis of the leopard in Southeast Asia is becoming increasingly bleak,' the study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, concluded.
Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
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