Thanks for visiting the new Clouded Leopard Project blog. We’ll use this space to share with you the latest happenings in the world of clouded leopards. We’ll also report on and explore some of the conservation issues facing Southeast Asian wildlife such as the illegal wildlife trade and habitat alteration. You can also expect updates on the conservation projects we’re working on and news about field projects we support.

My name is Karen Povey and I’m the President of the Clouded Leopard Project.  From time to time we hope to represent other Clouded Leopard Project voices here, but for the most part I’ll be serving as chief blogger. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my personal insights into clouded leopards and conservation in Asia. I’ll also provide photos, updates, and anecdotes about the cats we work with at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. (If you’d like to know more about me, check out my profile.)

We’d love to hear from you too. If you have ideas for the blog or relevant stories or to share, please let us know I hope you’ll bookmark this site and visit frequently for the latest news and comments. Most of all, we encourage you to spread the word about our favorite cat!

We didn't dare to hope that we would actually spot one of Borneo's elusive wild cats during our short visit, but last night we were extremely lucky. We went on a night spot-lighting outing on the river and after traveling about two hours up river from Sukau we saw the glimmer of eyeshine reflected in our light. We saw a small shape moving in and out of the shadows at the river's edge. To our surprise and delight it was a flat-headed cat! This species is seldom seen and few photographs exist that weren't taken by camera trap. We followed the cat as it ambled along the mud created by low-tide. The cat paid us no attention whatsoever and didn't deviate from his pace as he padded down the bank. We were able to get some good photographs as well as some video. We don't have the ability to post the photos right now, but I'll add them here when we return so check back for a rare look at this unusual little cat. This was a good time to be out looking since the river was low, exposing the amphibians and other water creatures the flat-headed cat feeds on.

Now we only have four more of the Borneo wild cats species to spot (marbled cat, leopard cat, bay cat, and clouded leopard). Keep your fingers crossed!

We spent four days along the Kinabatangan River and saw a huge array of wildlife. The primate population there is astounding! The trees along the river's edge teemed with large troops of proboscis monkeys, a species endemic to Borneo. They crash through the trees, making huge, reckless leaps as they fling themselves to adjacent branches. It is an amazing sight! We also observed countless macaques as well as some langurs. The highlight, however, was observing wild orangutans. We followed a mother and her baby through the forest for several hours until she made her night nest. This is just one of the animals that KOCP has studied for the last ten years so the have a huge amount of data on feeding ecology and other behavior.

The bird life of the region is also impressive. We observed four species of hornbills in great numbers as well as water birds. The river also holds many reptiles and we were fortunate to see a viper, mangrove snake, and many water monitor lizards and small crocodiles. The region is also home to a population of 200 elephants but they were further up river so we were not able to observe them.

Next we will be visiting study sites in Dermakot and the Danum Valley so more wildlife awaits!