‘Clouded’ creature — one of the rarest in Thailand — caught on camera. She wasn’t alone
Wildlife experts set up cameras in Thailand’s largest national park, hoping to record images of the critically endangered banteng, or red cattle, according to reports from a local news outlet.
Instead, the cameras caught a glimpse of one of the rarest creatures in Thailand: the clouded leopard.
Officials at Kaeng Krachan National Park shared a video on March 18 showing a mother clouded leopard with her cub searching for food at night.
The cub is estimated to be about 6 to 8 months old, Khaosod English, a news outlet based in Thailand, reported.
The presence of a cub indicates the park can sustain the population and serve as a breeding ground for the rare species, of which fewer than 200 are estimated to exist in the wild in Thailand, according to the outlet.
Park Chief Mongkol Chaipukdee called the sighting “extremely exciting,” the Bangkok Post reported.
The tree-dwelling clouded leopard is one of eight tiger species found in Kang Krachan National Park, officials said.
It is believed the leopard earned its name from the distinct cloud-like pattern on its body, according to wildlife officials.
Clouded leopards are listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, threatened primarily by habitat loss.
Kaeng Krachan National Park is about a 115-mile drive southwest from Bangkok.
Google Translate and Facebook Translate were used to translate a Facebook post from Kaeng Krachan National Park.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 8:24 AM with the headline "‘Clouded’ creature — one of the rarest in Thailand — caught on camera. She wasn’t alone."
