Clouded Leopard Captured on Camera Traps in Cox's Bazar Inani National Park
Researchers have captured photographic evidence of a clouded leopard in Inani National Park for the first time. The discovery emerged from a 13-month wildlife survey conducted between November 2022 and November 2023.
Researchers utilizing camera traps have successfully captured the presence of a clouded leopard for the very first time in Inani National Park, located within Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. This significant wildlife finding was officially confirmed following an extensive research initiative that spanned a total of thirteen months, running continuously from November 2022 through to November 2023.
During the course of this comprehensive study, the camera trapping effort successfully gathered five distinct photographs of the elusive clouded leopard. In addition to documenting this rare predator, the research recorded vital data on a total of twenty-one different wild animal species inhabiting the protected landscape of Inani National Park.
Among the other twenty-one wildlife species identified during the survey were western hoolock gibbons, capped langurs, and slow lorises. The documentation of such a diverse array of fauna underscores the ecological importance of the area, which spans a total protected expanse of seven thousand and eighty-five hectares.
Despite the rich biodiversity revealed by the study, the clouded leopard itself faces severe survival pressures. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species is currently classified as critically endangered within Bangladesh, while maintaining a globally vulnerable status.
Commenting on the historic discovery within the region, wildlife expert Reza Khan noted that the presence of the clouded leopard in the Inani forest opens up promising new possibilities for wildlife conservation efforts. Khan emphasized that the government should take proactive measures to identify and specifically protect the habitat areas utilized by the clouded leopard, while also halting timber extraction and relocating any human settlements currently situated within the zone.
