Clouded leopard

Name of the animal: Takin

Female: Leopardess

Male: Leopard

Young ones: Cubs

Group: Leap

Food: Pigs, monkeys and smaller fare such as squirrels and birds.

Life span: 11 years

Sound/s: The clouded leopard can purr like the small cats, but they also have a low, moaning roar, a soft chuffle, a growl, a hiss, and meows as part of their calls.

Habitat: The clouded leopard lives in the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, Bhutan and India to Myanmar, south-eastern Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indochina, and in China, south of the Yangtze River.

Other facts:

• Clouded leopards are a medium-sized cat named for the cloud-like spots on its coat
• These provide camouflage in the dappled light of its forest habitat.
• Fitting for an arboreal creature, clouded leopards are one of the best climbers in the cat family. They are able to climb upside down underneath tree branches, hang from branches with their hind feet, and even descend head first like a squirrel. Sharp eyesight helps them judge distances well, and the cats use their long tails to maintain balance. It is also an excellent swimmer.
• It has the longest canine teeth of any living feline, causing some people to compare the cat’s teeth and jaws with the extinct sabre-toothed cat.
• The clouded leopard is more at home on trees than on the ground. They rest in trees during the day and hunt at night.