KUNMING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- A rare type of leopard has been spotted in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Pictures and videos caught by an infrared camera showed a leopard with black spots and ochreous-colored fur strolling on a slope in the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve.
Experts have confirmed it was a Neofelis nebulosa, or clouded leopard.
Due to habitat fragmentation and declining prey, China's clouded leopard population has been decreasing. The animal, now placed under China's highest national-level protection, is rarely seen in the wild.
"The clouded leopard is a solitary cat, and one of the most talented climbers among the cat species," said Sun Jun, a researcher with the Gaoligong Nature Reserve.
Sun said researchers will conduct further surveys about clouded leopards to determine their distribution and group population.
"The long-term protection efforts of the reserve have yielded good results," Sun said, adding that the clouded leopard is the fourth rarest feline found in the reserve, indicating a complete and sound ecosystem in the area.
The unique geographical location and climate conditions make Gaoligong nature reserve home to some of the richest fauna and flora diversities in the world.
