International Clouded Leopard Day

Celebrated every year on this date, International Clouded Leopard Day is a day to spread awareness about this most charismatic Asian cat. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of clouded leopards and their status in the wild. Many people have never heard of a clouded leopard and have no idea of the threats facing them. Join us to celebrate this amazing species and to spread awareness of their beauty and charisma and the threats they face in the world.

This year, the Cincinnati Zoo’s celebration and awareness campaign will be virtual! Sheegwa will miss seeing all her adoring fans! Sheegwa is doing well during these crazy times! We find her playing, and napping and excitedly awaiting the time when she can see all of you again. In the meantime, you can still show your support for her wild cousins by visiting cloudedleopard.org to find out about clouded leopards and ways you can help!

Learn more about Sheegwa in this Home Safari we did in April:

Test your knowledge! Here are some facts about clouded leopards:

Clouded leopards live in South East Asia: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, India.

A medium-sized cat, known for its beautiful clouded coat pattern.

Smallest of the big cats.

Prustens (a form of communicative behavior exhibited by some members of the cat family. Prusten is also referred to as chuffing or chuffle. It is described as a short, low intensity, non-threatening vocalization) like big cats, does not roar.

Large jaws and longest canine teeth, relative to their size, enable them to take down larger prey, monkeys, pigs, and deer. Incredible leaping ability, long strong back legs and longest tail to body size ratio make it perfect for it’s arboreal lifestyle. They literally fly though the trees.

Biggest threats: Deforestation due to palm oil plantations and poaching for traditional medicine and illegal pet trade.

Animals like clouded leopards, tigers, and orangutans are endangered species due in part to the palm oil industry.  Palm oil is used in many of the foods and products we consume every day from frozen vegetables to shampoo. Oil palm plantations are spreading across Indonesia, which produces 85% of the world’s supply of palm oil, often to the detriment of its rainforests and wildlife. As consumers, we can choose to buy products made with sustainable palm oil as certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

Help save clouded leopards and their habitat! Download the sustainable palm oil app.

Download this fact sheet for more fun facts about these cats!

Fun at-home activities

Print out this coloring sheet and color it and let us know why you love clouded leopards!

Make your own clouded leopard mask:

Be sure to tell your friends and family what’s so great about clouded leopards and why it is important to spread awareness of how to help save them in the wild!