What Makes Scientists Fearful About the “Return” of an Animal Thought to be Extinct for 40 Years?
The animal in question is the Sunda Clouded Leopard (scientific name: Neofelis diardi).
Image of the Sunda Clouded Leopard. (Source: Johannes Pfleiderer/Biolib).
In the 1980s, residents of Taiwan (China) discovered a dead Sunda Clouded Leopard caught in a trap. Since then, the species seemingly vanished without a trace. It wasn’t until recent years that the Sunda Clouded Leopard, absent for over 40 years in China, made a surprising reappearance.
However, instead of celebrating the fact that this species is not extinct, scientists in the region are feeling anxious and fearful. Particularly concerning is the location where the Sunda Clouded Leopard has reappeared. Why? Could Stephen Hawking’s predictions have come true?
A Fierce Predator of the Jungle
The Sunda Clouded Leopard is also known as the clouded leopard due to its cloud-like pattern on its body. This species belongs to the genus Neofelis, which includes only two species found in Asia: the mainland Southeast Asian clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi).
This wild cat inhabits dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia to southern China.
The first Sunda Clouded Leopard known to science was brought to the Exeter Exchange Zoo in London from Guangdong Province, China, in the early 19th century and was named and described by British naturalist Edward Griffith in 1821.
Comparison of the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi) size with a human. (Photo: Travelforwildlife).
Its fur features large patches of dark gray interspersed with uneven spots and stripes, forming a cloud-like pattern. The length of its head and body ranges from 68.6 to 108 cm, with a tail length of 61 to 91 cm, and it weighs between 11-25 kg. The Sunda Clouded Leopard uses its tail for balance when moving through trees and can descend vertical trunks headfirst. It rests in trees during the day and hunts at night in the forest.
Clouded leopards (Neofelis) are considered the first feline species to diverge genetically from a common ancestor of the Felidae family between 9.32 to 4.47 million years ago. Several million years ago, they arrived in Sundaland, where they diverged into a separate species, the Sunda Clouded Leopard (Neofelis diardi), between 2.0–0.93 million years ago. It wasn’t until 2006 that the Sunda Clouded Leopard was identified as a distinct Neofelis species.
Biologists refer to the Sunda Clouded Leopard as the “modern saber-toothed tiger” due to its pair of fangs, which are proportionally the longest canines on any skull. (Photo: Animalia).
Although the Sunda Clouded Leopard is not very large, it possesses a mouth similar to that of a “small saber-toothed tiger.” Its four canines measure 4-7 cm long, and its bite force is relatively strong, surpassing that of the massive snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Among living cats, the Sunda Clouded Leopard has the longest canines in proportion to its skull.
Their long canines are extremely sharp and can pierce the cervical vertebrae of prey with a single bite, efficiently and ruthlessly killing their quarry. Additionally, the diet of the Sunda Clouded Leopard is quite diverse, ranging from small birds and rodents to large ungulates.
This makes the Sunda Clouded Leopard appear deceptively gentle, but in reality, it is a fierce predator in the wild. This is why biologists refer to it as the “modern saber-toothed tiger.”
Reappearing in China After 40 Years of Absence
The Sunda Clouded Leopard ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan, and India to Myanmar, southeastern Bangladesh, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and south of the Yangtze River in China.
According to an IUCN survey, the estimated global population of Sunda Clouded Leopards in 2015 was only about 4,500 individuals. The trend shows a continuous decline in numbers, with no population exceeding 1,000 adults living in concentrated areas.
As a result, the Sunda Clouded Leopard is classified as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List. This population is threatened by widespread deforestation and commercial poaching for illegal wildlife trade.
People hunt the Sunda Clouded Leopard for its teeth, claws, and skin to make decorative items and clothing; its bones and meat are used as substitutes for tigers in traditional Asian medicine and tonics; and small clouded leopards are captured for sale as pets.
Due to rampant hunting, this species has been confirmed extinct in Singapore and Taiwan (China) since around 1990. Therefore, the sighting of the Sunda Clouded Leopard in Taiwan (China) after nearly 40 years of absence has left scientists astonished yet fearful.
Beautiful images of the Sunda Clouded Leopard. (Source: Animalia).
Chinese experts are concerned about the location of the Sunda Clouded Leopard’s sighting: The high mountains of the Himalayas.
Traditionally, Sunda Clouded Leopards prefer to inhabit areas with average to low elevation, around 2,000 meters, where food is abundant and the environment is secluded.
However, footprints of the Sunda Clouded Leopard have been found in high-altitude areas of the Himalayas at 3,500 meters, completely deviating from their preferred habitat.
Experts analyze that the appearance of the Sunda Clouded Leopard in such high-altitude areas could be a result of global warming.
There are reasons for clouded leopards to primarily inhabit pristine evergreen forests in mountainous and tropical to subtropical regions, and they are very selective about their habitat. They prefer dense forests with sufficient rainfall, lush vegetation, and moist environments. This habitat not only provides ample shelter but also sufficient prey.
However, as global temperatures rise, climates in lower-altitude areas become drier, and food and water sources gradually diminish, forcing this species to migrate to higher and colder regions in search of food and shelter.
This certainly poses a significant challenge to the survival of these creatures, as areas at such high altitudes often lack oxygen and have cold climates that are difficult to sustain long-term.
Could Stephen Hawking’s Predictions Become Reality?
The unusual migration behavior of the Sunda Clouded Leopard is an example of how global warming has significantly impacted ecosystems. Climate change not only alters the habitats of species but also forces them to make difficult physiological and behavioral adjustments.
If the situation continues to deteriorate, it will pose a greater threat to the survival of rare species like the clouded leopard.
Thus, protecting the Sunda Clouded Leopard is not only a necessity for preserving biodiversity but also a crucial issue for humanity to confront climate change.
In addition to threatening biological habitats, global warming presents serious challenges to humanity itself.
As greenhouse gases (GHG such as CO2, methane, etc.) continue to rise and extreme weather becomes more frequent, increasing global temperatures are leading to a series of negative consequences, such as the ongoing melting of glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic, rising sea levels, and increasing desertification.
Even the renowned and respected British physicist Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) warned in his final prediction: “If humanity does not act swiftly to mitigate damage to the environment and climate, Earth will become a ball of fire.”
This prediction seems to be gradually becoming a reality.
Taking the Himalayas as an example, as temperatures have continued to rise in recent years, local glaciers have accelerated their melting, which not only threatens the habitats of wildlife such as the Sunda Clouded Leopard but also places immense pressure on the survival of hundreds of millions of species, including local people.
The greenhouse gases emitted from melting ice and snow (permafrost can release CO2) will exacerbate global climate degradation, creating a dangerously vicious cycle.
It can be said that the phenomenon of global warming has become the greatest challenge currently threatening life on Earth and even humanity itself.
If we do not take decisive and strong actions, Stephen Hawking’s predictions will ultimately come true, and Earth, the home that has nurtured us, will certainly be in danger.
