Category: Travel Blog

Nepal’s Twelve Wild Cats: A Spotlight on the Elusive Clouded Leopard

Nepal is a haven for wild cats, being home to an incredible 12 species. This group includes four majestic big cats: the Bengal tiger, common leopard, clouded leopard, and snow leopard. The remaining eight are smaller felids, consisting of the fishing cat, leopard cat, Eurasian lynx, Pallas’s cat, jungle cat, Asiatic wildcat, rusty-spotted cat, and marbled cat.

The Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is arguably the most graceful and powerful of them all, with a recorded population of over 355 in Nepal. Typically found in tropical climates at elevations between 100 and 1000 meters, they have in recent years been observed at higher altitudes, a shift attributed to the effects of global warming.

Their habitats vary by species. Common leopards are usually found between 1,000 and 2,500 meters. In contrast, the snow leopard roams the stark, rocky terrain and alpine meadows above the treeline, typically between 3,000 and 4,500 meters, moving up to 5,000 meters during the summer.

Among these cats, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) stands out as one of the most mysterious and elusive. Known locally as धुवाँसे चितुवा (dhuwãse chituwa), it is named for its unique, cloud-like fur pattern—a stark contrast to a tiger’s stripes or a leopard’s spots. This coat provides perfect camouflage in the underbrush of the Himalayan cloud forests. Remarkably, many Nepalis, including villagers living near its habitat, are unaware of its existence.

This endangered species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and protected under CITES Appendix I. It inhabits dense tropical, subtropical, and temperate forests across South and Southeast Asia, ranging from lowland areas up to 3,500 meters. Despite this relatively wide distribution, it remains one of Nepal’s least studied wild cats.

Shy of humans, clouded leopards typically avoid settlements. However, as habitat destruction impacts their natural prey density, they occasionally turn to livestock. Their diet primarily consists of monkeys, deer, pigs, rodents, squirrels, and birds. A remarkable arboreal acrobat, this big cat can even hang upside down beneath large branches, using its large paws and sharp claws to secure a firm grip.

I was fortunate to spot this rare creature myself while trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, in early March 2026, near the village of Deurali at an elevation of approximately 3,200 meters. It was a fleeting encounter with a true ghost of the forest, a reminder of the incredible biodiversity that Nepal has to protect.

Date source from Internet.
Auther: Shekhar Bahadur Thapa

On February 10, 2026, I took two Japanese tourists to visit the Boudhanath Stupa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As usual, I bought tickets at Rs. 400 per person from the main gate and entered with the two tourists. Walking slowly around, we entered the stupa area through the gate on the northwest side and decided to perform a kora (circumambulation) from the top level. As instructed, we took off our shoes and began the kora. It was around noon. We walked slowly around the dome of the stupa. At one point, we reached a spot to put our shoes back on. I and one of them were at the place where we had left our shoes and started putting them on. However, Mr. Kenshiro San’s shoes were not there. He started saying, “Eh, where are my shoes?” and looking around, but his shoes were not there. Instead, there was only an old pair of shoes left alongside. We wondered if someone had swapped them by mistake and looked around. We came down and looked a bit further around, but the shoes were not found. After that, we started inquiring with the security guard present there, but he also didn’t know. He rather suggested we report it to the police. I then informed the BShree Boudhanath Area Development Committee and the Tourist Police. The Tourist Police at Boudhanath said they were making a video and would come shortly. The Shree Boudhanath Area Development Committee said they would send someone. By this time, it must have been around 12:10 or 12:15 PM. After many phone calls back and forth, the Tourist Police arrived around 12:35 PM. They conducted a general inquiry; what else could they do? I had already called 1144 earlier and requested them to send police quickly. The Tourist Police who arrived showed no willingness to check or view CCTV footage or do any other work. Seeing that nothing would happen here, we thought of leaving. They suggested we might find slippers in the alley to the north. We went there, bought slippers, and headed towards the gate. Meanwhile, I requested the Shree Boudhanath Area Development Committee to refund the ticket money and show some humanity. They agreed to that too, but at the gate, it became quite complicated. Instead of returning the money as we requested, they started hassling us. Finally, after discussing at their office, they refunded the money.

Let’s talk about the related bodies here.

Local Security guard: Security guards are arranged to look after tourists. Their duties include checking tickets and specifically taking care of tourists’ belongings and shoes. However, around that time of 12 PM, the security guard was not present. According to them later, they had gone to eat lunch, and the one on ticket duty had gone to request another person not to make TIKTOK.

Tourist Police: When a tourist’s shoes were stolen, the Tourist Police did not give it priority. They said they would come after making a video. Even after arriving, they did not even try to check the CCTV footage there to possibly get a lead on the thief. Instead, they behaved as if suggesting the tourist could just buy a new pair of shoes.

Shree Boudhanath Area Development Committee: This committee charges Rs. 400 per tourist. It is also responsible for providing services and facilities to tourists. But at such a time, they were not particularly present there to show formality.

Community Police: This police also appeared once. They provided the mobile number of the Tourist Police and then their whereabouts were not known.

From this incident, it is not just a tourist’s shoes that were stolen. The self-respect of Nepalis has been stolen. All the efforts that should have been made, the searches that should have been conducted, the inquiries that should have been done—none of that happened. Instead, what happened was nothing other than one body pointing towards another and trying to evade responsibility.

CCTV footage should have been checked. The Tourist Police should have responded on time. It is not good to keep tourists waiting for a long time. We feel that thief certainly has good information that the CCTV and security bodies here don’t work. Therefore, it is our desire that the related bodies pay adequate attention to learning a lesson from this incident so that such an event does not recur in the future.

I waited if they response to us after checking the CCTV footage for almost 35hrs but nothing.

Nepal is gearing up for its upcoming general election in Nepal (member of parliaments, 165) on March 5th. The current interim government has announced that preparations are fully underway. According to the government, key tasks such as printing ballots, recruiting temporary police, and appointing election officers are already in progress.
This election, the first to be held after the GEN-Z movement, is seeing both new and established political parties presenting themselves to the public. However, experts note that public interest in established parties like the Nepali Congress, the Nepal Communist Party (CPN-UML), and the Maoist Party is relatively low. Meanwhile, newer parties such as the Rastriya Swatantra Party are claiming they will secure significant victories, while other emerging parties like Nepal Ujyaalo Party and Shram Sanskriti Party, and others also express confidence in gaining public support.
Although this general election coincides with the start of Nepal’s peak tourist season, tourism professionals suggest it will not have a major impact. Nepal remains a highly favored destination for mountain tourism. Major climbing expeditions above 8,000 meters, including Mount Everest, take place during this season. Other popular treks like the Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Base Camp, and Langtang valley trek are also frequently undertaken during this time. With winter ending, clearer skies offer stunning views, milder temperatures, and no monsoon rains—making it the preferred season for tourists.
Note: During general elections, especially on March 4th and 5th, public transportation may be restricted. However, based on past experiences, tourists with prior authorization can travel to their destinations. Should you need further information on this matter, feel free to contact us later.

Email: alpineasiantrek@gmail.com

Thank you.