Distribution and conservation status of Neofelis nebulosa (Felidae) in Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan

The Clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa is a globally threatened species, and very little is known about its ecology, distribution, population trends and threats. We used camera trap data from the 2013–2014 season of long-term monitoring of tigers in Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan to study the Clouded leopard distribution and to identify threats to the species and their habitat. Clouded leopards were recorded at 17 camera trap stations (25% of the total) within the park's jurisdiction of which ten stations were located inside the multiple use park management zone and seven in the core zone. The altitude of occurrence ranged from 243 m a.s.l. to 2323 m a.s.l. The species is facing ongoing threats from habitat degradation and loss, poaching, and climate change. Extraction of resources and developmental activities in Clouded leopard habitats inside the multiple use zone should be strictly supervised and studied. Continued effort is encouraged towards active monitoring particularly along the Indo-Bhutan border. There is also a strong need for dedicated ecological studies and a detailed assessment of threats to the species