NIK NAIZI HUSIN The Star 4 Oct 16;
JERANTUT: What they thought was a big cat resting under a house turned out to be a clouded leopard.
Felda settler Ramli Othman said he initially assumed it was an unusually large cat until it let out a deafening roar.
“When my friends and I went to have a closer look, we were shocked to see that it was a leopard. We ran away to avoid being attacked,” said Ramli, 60.
“I told my children to hide inside the house in case the animal went wild. Luckily, that did not happen,” he said at Felda Kota Gelanggi 3.
Ramli said his 10-year-old grandson was the one who spotted the leopard, which was resting under the house at 7.30am yesterday.
“He alerted me, saying there was a giant cat under the house,” he added.
Ramli called the Civil Defence Department for help.
According to state Department of Wildlife and National Parks deputy director Mohd Zaide Mohamed Zin, the animal was a harimau dahan, or clouded leopard.
The animal was later caught and brought to the Kuala Krau wildlife reserve in Jenderak, Temerloh.
Felda settlers scamper as leopard found resting under villagers' house
T.N.ALAGESH New Straits Times 3 Oct 16;
JERANTUT: Residents at Felda Kota Gelanggi 3 near here today woke up to news that a clouded leopard has been spotted resting under one of the settlers houses.
The 7.30am drama unfolded when one of the settler's neighbours spotted the animal. He then alerted other villagers.
Settler Ramli Othman said after news about the presence of the big cat spread in the village, some of them went to check if the information was genuine.
The 60-year-old said that as the area under the house was dark, he along with few others brought flashlights.
"We shone the flashlight from a distance and even before we could catch a glimpse of the clouded leopard, the animal gave out a loud roar. All of us ran for safety," he said.
He said the villagers then locked themselves inside their respective homes before alerting the Civil Defence Department and Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan), who arrived about 9.30am.
Perhilitan rangers later captured the clouded leopard using tranquiliser darts.
Leopard found under house back in the wild
The Star 5 Oct 16;
KUANTAN: The clouded leopard (pic) found by villagers in Felda Kota Gelanggi 3 in Jerantut has been released in the Krau Wildlife Reserve.
State Wildlife and National Parks Department deputy director Mohd Zaide Mohamed Zin said it was released in the forest at 7.30am yesterday.
Mohd Zaide said the animal weighed 30kg, while its body measured 101cm and its tail 88cm.
He said it was fortunate that the leopard was not aggressive while resting under a house in the settlement before it was caught on Monday.
“The leopard could have been lost from its group and was taking shelter under the house.
“As daylight came, the animal saw human beings nearby and possibly could not find its way out to the jungle.
“The villagers were also smart enough not to disturb it and called for help immediately.
“If the leopard had been disturbed and become aggressive, the villagers could have been attacked.
“Fortunately, this did not happen and we managed to release it back into the wild safely,” Mohd Zaide said.
On Monday, a 10-year-old boy spotted the animal resting under his house and alerted his grandfather.
