Because it hadn’t been officially observed since 1983, the Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) was assumed to be extinct in Taiwan. Between 2001 and 2013, zoologists from Taiwan and the United States studied the region, but no leopards were found. As a result, in 2013, this species was declared extinct.
However, in January 2019, many witnesses reported seeing these animals alive and well wandering the wilderness of Taitung County, Taiwan, prompting a group of rangers to monitor the region. Two sightings of a group of Formosan clouded leopards chasing goats, as well as one fleeing up a tree, have been recorded by rangers.
For natives in the region, the importance of the discovery is remarkable, and they are already having tribal meetings to discuss the sightings and how to prevent outsiders from attempting to kill leopards.
Tribal members believe they can ban foreigners from hunting in the region, while village elders are urging Taiwanese authorities to stop logging and other land-damaging operations.
Professor Liu Chiung-hsi of National Taitung University’s Department of Life Science believes that this mammal still lives. The Formosan is known to be nimble and watchful, escaping human attempts to trap or otherwise catch it, so it’s no surprise that it hasn’t been spotted by a human in over two decades, according to Liu.
According to scientists and conservationists, the Earth is presently experiencing its sixth mass extinction, with plants and animals becoming extinct at rates that are 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than normal. As a result, the discovery of the Formosan clouded leopard in Taiwan is fantastic news for our planet.
