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An important element in conserving clouded leopards is the understanding
of the status of this species in the wild. Thailand's Department of National Parks
oversees a network of national parks and nature reserves and has partnered with
Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center and Wildlife Alliance Thailand
to develop a comprehensive conservation program in this biologically rich country.
These partners have developed an integrated project in Khao Yai National Park, the
oldest and best-known national park in Thailand.
The goals of the project are to:
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Increase the wildlife monitoring technical capacity within the Dong Phayayen-Khao
Yai forest complex
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Facilitate the establishment of a long-term monitoring program for carnivores
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Develop a carnivore monitoring database and reporting system that will assist protected
areas in management of these populations
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Using the carnivore monitoring project, further strengthen Khao Yai National Park's function as a regional model for biodiversity monitoring, protection and management
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This project has several components:
At the invitation of the Thai government, Smithsonian and Wildlife Alliance staff members have conducted
training courses for Thai forest rangers. Rangers are trained in field techniques for
wildlife monitoring including surveys, the use of motion-detection cameras, animal sign
identification, and the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) units.
A high priority of the Department of National Parks is to assess all carnivores,
including clouded leopards, for their status, distribution, and density across Thailand
's wild areas. Smithsonian scientists will use Geographic Information System technology
to generate a map of land use and habitat types in Thailand and to identify critical
remaining clouded leopard habitat. The staff training and technical assistance will
allow Thai scientists and forestry staff to compile the first ever, detailed surveys
of clouded leopards (and other carnivore species) in the wild, including on-the-ground
data of their presence and density in protected areas throughout the country.
In 2004, survey work began in Khao Yai National Park . Remote infrared motion-detection
cameras are placed on a rotating basis in grids throughout the Park's twenty-two
zones. Cameras will remain in each zone for one month. The cameras are positioned
to obtain a side view of the photographed animal. Photographs of wild cats will
be examined for unique coat patterns and markings to estimate the number of each
species photographed.
So far, the cameras have yielded photographs of a variety of wild cat species including:
Marbled Cat Golden Cat
 
Clouded Leopard Leopard Cat
 
Additionally, elephants, civets, dhole, black bear, gaur, and jackals have been
photographed - 31 species, including 12 carnivore species have been photographed.
Unfortunately, there have also been many photographs of poachers as well, indicating
the need to enhance anti-poaching patrols. The poachers also have destroyed or stolen
many of the motion detection cameras.
Camera trap photos of poachers in Khoa Yai
 
Clouded leopards in the breeding program at Khao Kheow Open Zoo are assisting scientists
in developing research techniques that will be useful for studying clouded leopards
in the wild. In one study, six clouded leopards living at the zoo were fitted with
radio collars to determine the impact of these collars on reproductive and stress
hormones examined through fecal hormone analysis. This information will allow scientists
to learn whether wild study animals wearing radio collars behave in a natural manner
or are unduly stressed. Hormone data from this study are still being analyzed, but
observations of the animals showed that they behaved normally while wearing the
collars.
Clouded leopards under anesthesia are fitted with radio collars for study at Khao
Kheow Zoo
 
In another study, clouded leopard fecal samples from the Zoo were collected and
aged in a variety of field conditions (dry season, wet season, sun, shade). The
resulting samples will be analyzed to determine how these conditions affect the
degradation of hormones and DNA in the feces. This information will allow scientists
to assess the accuracy of samples obtained from the wild in uncontrolled conditions.
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