Basic Facts | 基础信息
- Scientific Name: Neofelis nebulosa
- Diet: Carnivore
- Lifespan: 11–15 years in the wild
- Estimated Population: < 10,000 (Declining)
- Range: Southeast Asia, Himalayas, and Southern China
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
- 学名：Neofelis nebulosa
- 饮食：肉食性
- 寿命：野外11–15年
- 预估数量： 少于 10,000 只（呈下降趋势）
- 分布范围：东南亚、喜马拉雅山脉及中国南方
Habitat & Diet | 栖息地与饮食
Despite their name, clouded leopards are not closely related to true leopards. They are an evolutionary bridge between small cats and big cats. Highly arboreal, they possess rotating rear ankles that allow them to climb down trees headfirst and even hang upside down from branches. They inhabit dense tropical forests, relying on the canopy to hunt macaques, small deer, and wild boars.
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
尽管名字里有“豹”，但云豹与真正的豹亲缘关系并不近。它们是小型猫科动物和大型猫科动物之间的进化桥梁。云豹是高度树栖的动物，其后脚踝可以旋转，这使它们能够头朝下爬下树干，甚至倒挂在树枝上。它们栖息在茂密的热带森林中，依靠树冠层捕猎猕猴、小型鹿和野猪。保护云豹，本质上就是保护它们所统治的广阔而复杂的森林生态系统，从而为林下无数鲜为人知的两栖动物和河流物种提供“保护伞”。
Did you know? Clouded leopards can open their jaws wider than any other cat, and their canine teeth are the longest relative to body size of any feline. A clouded leopard’s 2-inch-long (5 centimeters) canine teeth are the same size as a tiger’s, even though a tiger is 10 times bigger!
Global Conservation
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
你知道吗？云豹的下颌张开角度比其他任何猫科动物都大，且按身体比例计算，它们的犬齿是所有猫科动物中最长的。尽管老虎的体型是云豹的十倍，但云豹2英寸（5厘米）长的犬齿却与老虎的犬齿一样大！
Field Notes | 观察笔记
Seeing them up close at the Nashville Zoo clouded leopard experience completely changes your perspective on their scale. They are noticeably smaller than you might expect for a ‘leopard,’ but watching them effortlessly leap and float between platforms perfectly illustrates their unique anatomy. You immediately understand how their rotating ankles and incredible agility allow them to dominate the dense, vertical drops of the Asian canopy.
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
在纳什维尔动物园的云豹体验区近距离观察它们，会完全改变你对它们体型的认知。它们比你想象中的“豹”要小得多，但看着它们在平台上毫不费力地跳跃和穿梭，完美地展现了它们独特的解剖学结构。你会立刻明白，它们可旋转的脚踝和令人难以置信的敏捷性，是如何让它们在亚洲森林茂密、垂直的树冠层中称霸的。
Conservation Status | 保护现状
The clouded leopard is currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their primary threat is severe habitat fragmentation due to rapid deforestation across Southeast Asia. Additionally, their incredibly striking coats make them targets for illegal poaching, and their bones are still heavily trafficked for use in traditional medicine. Because they are so elusive, exact population numbers are incredibly difficult for researchers to track, making local habitat preservation the single most critical factor in their survival.
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
云豹目前被世界自然保护联盟（IUCN）列为易危（Vulnerable）物种。它们面临的主要威胁是东南亚地区由于快速毁林而导致的严重栖息地破碎化。此外，它们极其引人注目的皮毛使其成为非法盗猎的目标，其骨骼也常被非法走私用于传统医药。由于它们行踪隐秘，研究人员很难追踪其确切的种群数量，因此，保护当地栖息地成为它们生存的最关键因素。
How You Can Help | 如何提供帮助
The most effective way to protect the clouded leopard is by supporting organizations that actively combat illegal wildlife trafficking and protect vulnerable forest habitats in Southeast Asia.
中文翻译 | Read in Chinese
保护云豹最有效的方法是支持那些积极打击非法野生动物走私，并致力于保护东南亚脆弱森林栖息地的组织。
Nick Clement | Wildlife Journal 