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WildCRU’s camera trap dataset, probably the largest of it’s kind, identifies conservation priorities for clouded leopards

David Macdonald presents a second video from WildCRU’s Clouded Leopard Programme summarizing research findings published in Diversity and Distributions and Biological Conservation.

Deforestation is rapidly altering Southeast Asian landscapes, resulting in some of the highest rates of habitat loss worldwide. Among the many species facing declines in this region, clouded leopards rank notably for their ambassadorial potential and capacity to act as powerful levers for broader forest conservation programmes. Using WildCRU’s region-wide camera trap dataset, we identified core habitat and connectivity corridors and ranked remaining habitat patches for conservation prioritization for the entire ranges of the mainland and Sunda clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa and N. diardi.

Macdonald, D. W., Bothwell, H. M., Kaszta, Ż., Ash, E., Bolongon, G., Burnham, D., … & Hearn, A. J. (2019). Multi‐scale habitat modelling identifies spatial conservation priorities for mainland clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa). Diversity and Distributions, 25(10), 1639-1654.

Macdonald, D. W., Bothwell, H. M., Hearn, A. J., Cheyne, S. M., Haidir, I., Hunter, L. T., … & Cushman, S. A. (2018). Multi-scale habitat selection modeling identifies threats and conservation opportunities for the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi). Biological Conservation, 227, 92-103.

View the first video in the Clouded Leopard Programme series.