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Incidental Killing of Clouded Leopard in Sarawak Borneo

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  • Natural Resources and Environment Board
ISSN 1027-2992
CAT
news
N° 65 | Winter 2017
CATnews 65 Winter 2017
02
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CATnews 65 Winter 2017
42
The Sunda clouded leopard is known, as
one of the largest carnivore species ende-
mic to the Island of Borneo. N. diardi was
classified as a new species by Wilting et
al. (2007), corroborating previous studies
by Buckley-Beason et al. (2006) and Kit-
chener et al. (2006). Christiansen (2008)
demonstrated that N. nebulosa and N.
diardi diverge in a number of unusual cra-
niomandibular characters. Two subspecies
of N. diardi were also recognised: the Bor-
nean clouded leopard, N. d. borneensis and
the Sumatran clouded leopard N. d. diardi
based on genetic analysis and morphologi-
cal results (Wilting et al. 2011).
Sunda clouded leopard has Totally Protected
status in Sarawak according to Sarawak
Wild Life Protection Ordinance 1998. Any
offence leading to a conviction may lead
to a fine of up to RM 25,000 (USD 6,250).
However, a species included under this law
can still be killed if the species is thought
to cause harm to human life or danger to
property and if enough warning has been
given. Moreover, the carcass has to be sur-
rendered to the controller of wildlife. His-
torical collection of specimens (since 1892
until 1983) of this species showed that it
was mostly hunted in northern Sarawak
(Mohd-Azlan et al. 2007).
In Sarawak, Sunda clouded leopards have
been reported from primary forest of Lambir
Hills National Park (Mohd-Azlan & Engkamat
2006), logging concession areas in Ulu Baram
(Mathai et al. 2010), and secondary forest
south-east of Bintulu (McShea et al. 2009).
Even though the clouded leopards have been
reported to thrive in secondary forest (Mohd-
Azlan & Sharma 2006, McShea et al. 2009),
the Sunda clouded leopard in Borneo seems
to be negatively affected by logging (Brodie
et al. 2015). Besides logging affecting habitat
and prey species, hunting appears to contri-
bute to the decline of this species on Borneo
(Brodie et al. 2014). Logging activities in Sa-
rawak have led to a vast network of logging
roads, which inadvertently created access to
previously inaccessible areas for hunters. Se-
lectively removing apex predators such as the
clouded leopard may have cascading effect
on prey species density. The impact of hunting
activities on the Sunda clouded leopard and
other carnivores in Borneo are poorly under-
stood (Hearn et al. 2016, Wilting et al. 2016).
The main aim of this study is to evaluate the
relative importance of the threat posed by
killing to the Sunda clouded leopard. Here
we report evidence of hunting and incidental
killing of the species as pest in various areas
in Sarawak. This provides locality information
and highlights the threat of hunting and inci-
dental killing to the long-term survival of this
species in Sarawak.
Methods
Our ongoing research to understand the
carnivore species community also provides
The Sunda clouded leopard Neofelis diardi is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red
List and is protected throughout its range. Little is known of its hunting in Sarawak,
Malaysia. We conducted an opportunistic survey on the distribution of clouded le-
opard in Sarawak based on skins and reports of its hunting from 2013 to 2016. We
also visited 38 towns and villages during this period. We asked local hunters if they
own skins of Sunda clouded leopard and if they could show them to us. Based on
this survey, the distribution of Sunda clouded leopard in western Sarawak appears
to be patchy. Most of the records showed that the species persists in secondary and
primary forest in central and northern Sarawak. Based on skins, a total of nine areas
with Sunda clouded leopard presence have been identified. Killing of Sunda clouded
leopard was mostly incidental and occasionally in self-defense with little evidence
of cross boundary trade.
JAYASILAN MOHD-AZLAN1*, MELYNDA CHEOK KA YI1, JACK LIAM2, LADING ENGKAMAT3
AND OSWALD BRAKEN TISEN4
Incidental killing of Sunda
clouded leopard in Sarawak,
Malaysia
Johnson A., Vongkhamheng C. & Saithongdam T.
2009. The diversity, status and conservation of
small carnivores in a montane tropical forest in
northern Laos. Oryx 43, 626-633.
Phillipps Q. & Phillipps K. 2016. Phillipps' Field
Guide to the Mammals of Borneo and Their
Ecology. John Beaufoy Publishing, Sabah, Sa-
rawak, Brunei, and Kalimantan. 282 pp.
Fig. 1. Front view showing extent of small
spots (Photo P. Carter).
Fig. 2. View of the nape and upper shoul-
der (Photo P. Carter).
Rustam, Hearn A. J., Ross J., Alfred R., Samejima
H., Heydon M., Cheyne S. M., Brodie J., Gior-
dano A. J., Bernard H., Boonratana R., Loken
B., Mohamed A., Augeri D. M., Eaton J., Hon
J., Lim B. L., Marshall A. J., Mathai J., Semiadi
G., Macdonald D. W., Breitenmoser-Würsten
C., Kramer-Schadt S. & Wilting A. 2016. Pre-
dicted distribution of the Marbled Cat Pardofe-
lis marmorata (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae)
on Borneo. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supple-
ment 33, 157-164.
exploration consultant (geologist) with +40
years experience of wildlife watching and pho-
tography, based in SE Asia
*<pc66xx@gmail.com>
original contribution
CATnews 65 Winter 2017
43
Fig. 1. Locations
of visited towns
and rural areas
in Sarawak inclu-
ding areas where
there has been
evidence of Sun-
da clouded leo-
pard hunting and
killing.
information on the distribution of felids in
Sarawak. We started to visit small towns
and interior parts of Sarawak for an ongoing
wildlife survey in 2011. These areas were
reached using either land transport, boats
or air planes. We visited markets, cities and
small towns in Sarawak between January
2012 and July 2016, and we interviewed local
hunters where possible. We also visited long
houses in these areas and asked hunters if
they owned any Sunda clouded leopard skins.
Additionally, we collected incidental local
news and reports on Sunda clouded leopards
to gather additional data on the species’ dis-
tribution. We excluded information without
proof (skins or photos of killed animals).
Results
We visited a total of 38 towns, cities and
rural areas at least once between 2012 to
2016 as for example (Fig. 1): Sematan, Lundu,
Kuching, Serian, Lachau, Sri Aman, Lingga,
Betong, Saratok, Sarikei, Pakan, Julau, Jakar,
Matu, Kanowit, Sibu, Selangau, Mukah, Ta-
tau, Bintulu, Niah, Lapok, Long Lama, Marudi,
Miri, Limbang and Lawas. We collected 16
skins and reports of clouded leopard killings
from the surveyed areas in Sarawak over a
period of 5 years. Based on the data collected
during these visits we were able to identify
nine areas with clouded leopard presence.
Sematan, Kuching (1 in Fig.1)
The local community (Selako) around the
Gunung Pueh forest area reported the oc-
currence of Sunda clouded leopard in their
area. This is the most western area, where
the species seems to occur in Sarawak. An
animal was killed three years ago in 2013.
The older people reported that they would
not harm the Sunda clouded leopard when in
sight out of respect, but this attitude is disap-
pearing among the younger generation. The
skin of the Sunda clouded leopard was used
for making drums.
Saratok (2 in Fig.1)
Saratok, a small town located in the west of
Sarawak, is surrounded by secondary forest
and increasing oil palm plantations. This
area is dominated by the Malay and Iban
community. A male adult Sunda clouded le-
opard accidently strayed into a government
staff housing complex and was shot in 2013,
as it was thought to threaten and attack lo-
cals in the housing compound (Fig. 2). They
later disposed of the carcass in an unknown
location.
Igan (3 in Fig. 1)
Igan is a small town surrounded by agricul-
ture and secondary forest. The Melanau
community dominates this area. A Sunda
clouded leopard was shot in 2012 for raiding
poultry. They disposed of the carcass in an
unknown location.
Nanga Pelagus, Kapit (4 in Fig.1)
Nanga Pelagus is surrounded by secondary
forest and nearby Pelagus National Park fac-
ing the Rajang River. The Iban community that
dominates this area refers to the clouded leo-
pard as Engkulik. We found a skin of a Sunda
clouded leopard in a long house in Nanga
Pelagus in 2015 (Supporting Online Materi-
al SOM Figure F1). This animal was shot at
night during a hunting session few years back
in Ulu Baleh, towards Nanga Gaat, where
logging activities are ongoing. The skin was
kept as wall decoration in the owner’s house.
Kapit town (5 in Fig.1)
The Kapit region is known for its vast forested
areas in the central part of Sarawak. Two
carcasses of Sunda clouded leopard were
illegally sold as meat in a local market for
USD 20/kg (Fig. 3). Additionally, another
clouded leopard was killed and the image
was shown on Facebook in 2015 (Fig. 4) and
picked up by the media (e.g. The Borneo Post
online on 12 December 2015: Hunters of clou-
ded leopard tracked down thanks to Facebook
faux pas). Three men admitted to have been
involved in the killing incident. They were
arrested by Sarawak Forestry Corporation
Sibu’s Swift Wildlife Action Team SWAT and
the case was handed over to the Forest De-
partment for further investigation.
Nanga Ramong, Ulu Baleh (6 in Fig.1)
Recently logged and secondary forests
surround Nanga Ramong, Ulu Baleh. The
terrain is steep. The locals reported Sunda
clouded leopard near the plateau of Bukit
Tunggal. We saw skins of two adult clou-
ded leopards in a long house near Nanga
Ramong in 2014 (SOM F2). These Sunda
clouded leopards were killed opportunisti-
cally during a pig hunting session. The ani-
Fig. 2. A male
clouded leopard
was shot by lo-
cal communities
living inside go-
vernment quar-
ters near Saratok
in 2013, as it was
thought to be a
threat (Photo BH
Sarawak/ano-
nymous).
incidental killing of Sunda clouded leopard in Sarawak
CATnews 65 Winter 2017
44
mals were shot in 2012 during two separate
hunting expeditions.
Long Singut, Ulu Baleh (7 in Fig.1)
Most of Long Singut, Ulu Baleh, has been
selectively logged. Ongoing logging activi-
ties have created small villages and farms
in this area. A Sunda clouded leopard was
shot in 2013 while it was climbing a tree
(Fig. 5a). Two different individuals were
shot at another occasion in 2013 (Fig. 5b).
The hunter kept the skins, but fearing the
authorities, he later disposed of them in an
undisclosed location.
Lio Mato (8 in Fig.1)
Lio Mato is a small village in the Ulu Baram
region dominated by the Kenyah community.
Clouded leopard is known as Kuleh in Kenyah.
Logging has left many of the forested areas
which now are transformed to oil palm plan-
tations. However, some forest patches remain
relatively pristine as communal forests. Two
Sunda clouded leopard individuals were shot
in this area in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Long Bedian (9 in Fig.1)
Small-scale agriculture and secondary for-
ests surround long Bedian. Many of the
forested areas are now being cleared for oil
palm plantations. The local communities are
Kayan and Penan. Some of the area is cur-
rently being selectively logged. A Sunda clou-
ded leopard skin was seen in a local market
in 2014 (SOM F3). The animal was killed for
its meat.
Discussion
Improved access to forests through logging
roads provides villagers and outsiders with
access to formerly remote areas. This has in-
tensified (illegal) hunting in many parts of Sa-
rawak. Hunting of non-protected species (e.g.
wild boar Sus barbatus, deer Rusa unicolor,
muntjacs Muntiacus muntjak and Muntiacus
atherodes and mousedeers Tragulus kanchil
and Tragulus napu) is a privilege that is gi-
ven to native people of Sarawak. However,
incidental killing and opportunistic hunting
of non-target species such as Sunda clouded
leopard during hunting expeditions will have
an adverse effect on the carnivore diversity
in Sarawak’s rainforest. These hunters do not
organise hunting expeditions to hunt the Sun-
da clouded leopard. Many of the older hunters
revealed that the Sunda clouded leopard was
shot unintentionally or killed during pig hun-
ting. In the past, Sunda clouded leopard skins
were used by many tribes in Sarawak as part
of rituals (Rabinowitz et al. 1987, Bennett et
al. 2000). Skins are considered relics, and lo-
cal communities are allowed to keep them,
but artificial products are encouraged. How-
ever, according to the Wild Life Protection
Ordinance 1998, the killing of Sunda clouded
leopard is prohibited, unless for self-defense
or the protection of property. Even though this
species is occasionally killed during conflict,
the meat is often consumed and the remains
are discarded, leaving little evidence. Sunda
clouded leopard skins as relics are normally
not for sale but there are reports that these
skins can fetch from USD 50 to USD 500 per
piece in the local black market. The clou-
ded leopard’s skull with its teeth attached
have also been reported to be sold for up to
USD 500. However, it is believed that interna-
tional trade may not be the driving factor in
hunting of this species.
Lack of historical evidence and the absence
of this species from reports and surveys
suggest that the clouded leopard may occur
at low density in western Sarawak. This is
consistent with the results from Hearn et al.
(2016). Besides habitat destruction, poaching
of clouded leopard as well as hunting and
poaching of its prey have a significant influ-
ence on the distribution of clouded leopard
and its local extinction (Hearn et al. 2016).
There is a distinct lack of information regard-
ing the threat posed by hunting in Borneo.
However, such information is important in
assessing the conservation status of this
species. The sample area covered only a
small proportion of Sarawak, and the areas
that are uncovered may provide additional
informa-tion on the distribution of this spe-
cies. Rabinowitz et al. (1987) suggested that
hunting in Sarawak was may be less of a
threat in the 1980s than in the past due to
changes in hunting practices, but our study
suggests that killing of Sunda clouded leo-
pard in Sarawak is persistent. Our results
illustrate the presence of the Sunda clouded
leopard in secondary forest. However, habi-
tat destruction together with illegal killing
will reduce local and regio-nal densities. In-
cidental killing is expected to suppress the
population density below the carrying capa-
city (Hearn et al. 2016).
The vast and remote areas with limited ac-
cess throughout the year have reduced the
regularity of patrolling and enforcement ac-
tivities in Sarawak. Many of these areas are
not accessible during the wet season where
many illegal hunting activities take place.
Increased funding and resources for enforce-
ment will enhance the efficacy of curbing
such activity. In recent years, enforcement
has increased by three fold in Sarawak,
which has resulted in numerous arrests of
wildlife traders near town areas.
Additionally, local communities need to be
educated using concepts of stewardship and
create ownership of wildlife. Even though
there have been no recent attacks on humans
Fig. 3. Clouded leopard meat seen at Kapit area used as food. No
medicinal value was reported (Photo J. Mohd-Azlan).
Fig. 4. Photo of illegally killed clouded leopard posted on Face-
book (Photo Borneo Post online, 12 December 2015).
Mohd-Azlan et al.
CATnews 65 Winter 2017
45
by Sunda clouded leopard in Sarawak, the
fear of this large cat still persists among local
communities. Therefore, local communities
would benefit from education and awareness
programmes about the actual risk of being at-
tacked by a Sunda clouded leopard.
Local communities and authorities should
work together to enhance the enforcement
and awareness campaigns in Sarawak.
Moreover, the international conservation
community should provide support. It would
be a pity and great loss if the Sunda clouded
leopard goes extinct in Sarawak.
Acknowledgements
This survey was supported by Ministry of Higher
Education (FRGS990/2013(31) & NRGS/1087/2013
(01)), Big Cat Rescue, Faculty of Resource Sci-
ence and Technology of Universiti Malaysia
Sarawak, Sarawak Energy Berhad [GL(F07)/
SEB/2014/03(04)], Sarawak Forestry Corporation
and Forest Department Sarawak. We are grateful
to two anonymous reviewers who have improved
the earlier version of this manuscript with exten-
sive and helpful comments.
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available at www.catsg.org.
1 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Resource Sci-
ence and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sara-
wak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
*<azlan@unimas.my>
2 Wisma Sumber Alam, Preventive & Enforcement
Division, Forest Department Headquarters, Petra
Jaya, 93360 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
3 Wisma Sumber Alam, Nature Conservation &
Constitution Division, Forest Department Head-
quarters, Petra Jaya, 93360 Kuching, Sarawak,
Malaysia
4 Biodiversity Conservation Department, Pro-
tected Areas & Biodiversity Conservation, Sara-
wak Forestry Corporation, 93250 Kuching, Sara-
wak, Malaysia
incidental killing of Sunda clouded leopard in Sarawak
Mohd-Azlan J., Ka Yi M. C., Liam J., Engkamat L. & Tisen O. B. 2017. Incidental killing of
Sunda clouded leopard in Sarawak, Malaysia. Cat News 65, 42-45. Supporting Online
Material.
SOM F2. Clouded leopard skin from hunting
expedition in 2012 from Nanga Ramong, Ulu Baleh
(Photo Ka Yii).
SOM F3. Clouded leopard skin
recorded at Long Bedian in 2014
(Photo J. Mohd-Azlan).
... Road development increases access to remote locations, contributing to the depletion of mammal populations via hunting . Although hunters rarely target felids, incidental hunting has been reported (Mohd-Azlan et al., 2017) and larger predators are affected by prey depletion (Wolf & Ripple, 2016). ...
Article
Full-text available
Carnivore guilds are charismatic and have vital and irreplaceable roles in their native ecosystems, yet many of these species are threatened and remain understudied. Borneo is a biodiversity hotspot that hosts a rich diversity of endemic wildlife but is threatened by deforestation and habitat loss. Using cameras placed by the Smithsonian Institution in Sabah, Borneo, we assessed the detection rates and diel activity patterns of the native felid species. Across 51 camera trap sites between 2016 and 2019, felids were detected 55 times across a combined 9958 trap nights, including 20 independent detection events for Sunda leopard cats, 15 for Sunda clouded leopards, 12 for Borneo bay cats, and 5 for marbled cats, with no detections of flat‐headed cats. Collectively, this demonstrates the challenge of sampling cryptic species that have declined due to habitat loss and conflict with humans. Despite this, we show that Borneo bay cats and marbled cats exhibited different diel activity patterns than Sunda cloud leopards, suggesting the smaller species use temporal displacement to avoid competition and predation. Sunda leopard cats exhibited broadly similar activity patterns to Sunda clouded leopard, potentially because the two species typically occupy different dietary and habitat niches. These results demonstrate the importance of devoting future research towards monitoring these species and understanding the mechanisms by which they co‐exist.
... Of this, five respondents admitted to have shot a clouded leopard while another two chose to run away in fear that the clouded leopard will threaten their life. The killed animals are normally kept as souvenirs or sold to a middleman (Mohd-Azlan et al., 2017). ...
Article
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Archaeological records showed that human have lived in Borneo for at least 40000 and evidence of wildlife hunting for at least 35000 years. Wildlife is used for a variety of reasons, including subsistence, economy, pest control, and traditional needs. Technology has fuelled the course of human cultural evolution but the use of wildlife is still prevalent throughout the world especially in tropical forest. In Sarawak, local communities are allowed to hunt non-protected species outside protected areas. This study was focused on the effects of hunting on the distribution and diversity of terrestrial medium to large mammals in interior parts of Sarawak. By undertaking interview surveys with the local communities, information on hunting pressure and dependency of the communities towards these mammals were obtained. A total of 170 respondents were interviewed from three study sites: Ulu Baram, Ulu Baleh, and Pelagus. In general, the local communities are dependent of wildlife in Sarawak where the access to commercially available poultry and meat sources are scarce in these areas. A long term multi-prong approaches need to be considered to reduce the dependency on wild meat and prevent hunting of the endangered and protected species. © 2018, Malaysian Society of Applied Biology. All rights reserved.
Article
Clouded leopards are a bitypic genus (Neofelis) of medium-sized felid that share a common ancestor with the world’s pantherine “big cats.” They largely inhabit primary and secondary evergreen and mixed deciduous forests across tropical and subtropical Asia, from northeast India and the Nepalese Himalayan foothills, east through Indo-Burma to Vietnam, and south through the Indo-Malayan archipelago. Well-adapted for climbing and moving in trees, little is known about the ecology of clouded leopards relative to larger felids. They are believed to prey primarily on ungulates, primates, and smaller forest mammals, and occur at local population densities comparable to tigers and leopards, felids that are three to nine times their weight. Although predominantly nocturnal and crepuscular, clouded leopards are also active during daylight hours, and their movements may in part be influenced by both larger predators and potential prey. Populations of both the Indochinese clouded leopard (N. nebulosa) and Sunda clouded leopard (N. diardi) are declining and increasingly isolated due to large-scale habitat loss and deforestation for agricultural and infrastructural development, as well as indiscriminate hunting for their skins and parts, and a live pet trade. Broad-scale conservation policies and collaborative practices that safeguard and restore habitat, reduce fragmentation, enhance forest connectivity, engage communities on hunting, and increase the effectiveness of national and international law enforcement activities, are among the strategies needed to protect these IUCN Vulnerable cat species.
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Based on examination of molecular data and pelage patterns, it has recently been suggested that the island populations of the clouded leopard, traditionally considered a subspecies, may, in fact constitute a separate species. In this paper, I demonstrate that the island populations deviate strongly from the mainland populations in a large number of cranial, mandibular, and dental characters. The differences far exceed those that have been documented for subspecies within other pantherine felids, and are congruent with a separate species, to which the name Sundaland clouded leopard, Neofelis diardi, has been given, although the name Diard's cat has priority based on historical precedence. I suggest that the vernacular name Diard's clouded leopard be adopted for Neofelis diardi. In contrast, mainland populations diverge less from each other, and are congruent with 1 species (Neofelis nebulosa) and 2 subspecies, the western (N. n. macrosceloides) and eastern (N. n. nebulosa) clouded leopard. Neofelis deviates from other large felids in many aspects of craniodental morphology, and most likely also in several behavioral aspects. Diard's clouded leopard appears more derived with respects to saber-toothed craniodental features than the clouded leopard, indicating that the former may have gone farther than the latter in convergently evolving craniomandibular features traditionally considered characteristic of primitive saber-toothed felids.
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The clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, is an endangered semiarboreal felid with a wide distribution in tropical forests of southern and southeast Asia, including the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in the Indonesian archipelago. In common with many larger animal species, it displays morphological variation within its wide geographical range and is currently regarded as comprising of up to four subspecies. It is widely recognized that taxonomic designation has a major impact on conservation planning and action. Given that the last taxonomic revision was made over 50 years ago, a more detailed examination of geographical variation is needed. We describe here the results of a morphometric analysis of the pelages of 57 clouded leopards sampled throughout the species' range. We conclude that there are two distinct morphological groups, which differ primarily in the size of their cloud markings. These results are supported by a recent genetic analysis. On that basis, we give diagnoses for the distinction of two species, one in mainland Asia (N. nebulosa) and the other in Indonesia (N. diardi). The implications for conservation that arise from this new taxonomic arrangement are discussed.
Sa� ving Borneo's �acon: the sustaina�ility of hun� ting in Sarawak and Sa�ah. In Hunting for sus� taina�ility in tropical forests
  • E L Bennett
  • A J Nyaoi
  • J Sompud
Bennett E. L., Nyaoi A. J. & Sompud J. 2000. Sa� ving Borneo's �acon: the sustaina�ility of hun� ting in Sarawak and Sa�ah. In Hunting for sus� taina�ility in tropical forests. Ro�inson J. G. & Bennett E. L. (Eds). Colum�ia University Press, New York. pp. 305�324.
Skin of an adult clouded leopard near a long house at Long Singut (Photo Ka Yii)
  • Fig
Fig. 5a. Skin of an adult clouded leopard near a long house at Long Singut (Photo Ka Yii).