International Clouded Leopard Day (ICLD) is a day of international awareness and an attempt to increase the profile of Clouded leopards both in captivity and in the wild. Organizers of ICLD are Lauren Amos and Dan Kemp, two carnivore keepers from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, who work with this shy and elusive species on a daily basis.
ICLD at the park included talks, tours, and activities for all ages but the day didn’t just exist in Kent, this day of celebration reached zoos in the USA and Asia.
The objective is to raise awareness and unite conservation thinking amongst zoological collections, charities, NGO’s, businesses and all those with an interest in one of the world`s most beautiful and iconic cats, the Clouded leopard. Every species on earth has its own unique role to play in maintaining an over-arching ecological balance both in life and in nature.
Whether this is through managing prey based animal numbers, ensuring seed dispersal, looking after grasslands or simply by maintaining a healthy genetic diversity that ensures the survival of any given species. Everything has a purpose.
The juggernaut that is humankind continues to overwhelm and overpower nature at a pace that is both relentless and insatiable. We become immune to the warnings of those who foretell us of the loss of species, forests and ocean life.
The hope is that in some small way raising the awareness of the plight of the Clouded leopard may somehow help this most beautiful of cats in the wild and provide us with a greater understanding of its needs.
