Original subtitles

male narrator: DEEP IN AN

ANCIENT JUNGLE, A MAGNIFICENT

ANIMAL WAS ON THE PROWL.

STUNNING AND SECRETIVE.

SOUTHEAST ASIA'S CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

THIS RARELY SEEN WILDCAT HAS

BEEN A MYSTERY TO HUMANS FOR

CENTURIES.

BUT NOW, THERE'S DISTURBING NEW

EVIDENCE THAT WE CAN'T IGNORE.

THREATS IN THE FOREST--

AND UNSETTLING IMAGES FROM

INSIDE THE ILLEGAL ANIMAL TRADE.

[DOG BARKING]

HUMAN AND NATURAL FORCES ARE

DRIVING CLOUDED LEOPARDS TO THE

EDGE OF EXTINCTION.

THE CLOUDED LEOPARD IS ONE OF

THE MOST ENDANGERED CAT SPECIES

WE HAVE ON EARTH.

narrator: SCIENTISTS ARE

RACING TO UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF

THESE ENIGMATIC PREDATORS.

AND ACTIVISTS ARE TRYING TO STOP

THE KILLING.

BUT CLOUDED LEOPARDS ARE DEFYING

ATTEMPTS TO PROTECT THEM.

MALES ATTACKING THEIR FEMALE

PARTNERS.

A MOTHER KILLING ITS OWN CUB.

Dr. JoGayle Howard: THEIR

AGGRESSION PROBLEMS, THEIR

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS, REALLY

COMPROMISES OUR ABILITY TO SAVE

THEM.

narrator: AND SOON, THESE

MYSTERIOUS CATS COULD DISAPPEAR

FOREVER.

♪

THAILAND'S KHAO YAI NATIONAL

PARK.

MORE THAN 2,000 SQUARE

KILOMETERS OF PROTECTED

WILDERNESS.

IT'S THE REALM OF THE CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

THAT IS, IF YOU CAN FIND ONE.

TWENTY-NINE-YEAR OLD,

KANDA DEMERON CHINERONG,

A THAI GRADUATE STUDENT, IS

TRYING TO TRACK CLOUDEDS FOR A

PROJECT RUN BY THE SMITHSONIAN

AND AN ACTIVIST GROUP CALLED

"WILDAID THAILAND."

THE PROBLEM IS, SHE'S BEEN

SEARCHING FOR ALMOST THREE

YEARS.

AND SHE'S NEVER SEEN A SINGLE

ONE.

[FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

translator: IT'S DIFFICULT TO

EXPLAIN.

I'M FASCINATED BY THIS ANIMAL.

THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES,

AND IT'S EXTREMELY RARE TO SEE

THEM IN THE FOREST.

narrator: THIS JUNGLE IS HOME

TO A MAGNIFICENT RANGE OF

SPECIES.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR KANDA,

SHE'S AFTER THE MOST ELUSIVE

ONE.

ONLY SIX CLOUDEDS HAVE EVER BEEN

TRACKED AND STUDIED IN THE WILD.

AND SCIENTISTS STILL DON'T KNOW

MUCH MORE THAN THE BASICS,

INCLUDING HOW MANY ARE ACTUALLY

LEFT.

THEY DO KNOW THAT CLOUDED

LEOPARDS WEIGH UP TO 50 POUNDS,

ONE-TENTH THE SIZE OF A LION OR

A TIGER.

AND A RANGE OF SPECIAL FEATURES

MAKE THEM MASTER TREE CLIMBERS.

SHORT STOUT LEGS KEEP A

CLOUDED'S CENTER OF GRAVITY LOW,

HELPING IT CLIMB AND HANG

FROM BRANCHES.

ROTATING REAR ANKLES ENABLE THE

CAT TO DESCEND TREE TRUNKS, HEAD

FIRST, TO TRACK PREY ON THE

GROUND.

AND A LONG FLEXIBLE TAIL, THE

LENGTH OF ITS ENTIRE BODY, KEEPS

A CLOUDED BALANCED WHEN IT'S

PROWLING ALONG BRANCHES.

BUT CRITICAL INFORMATION ON

THEIR BREEDING PATTERNS, FEEDING

HABITS, AND HABITAT, IS STILL

MISSING.

KANDA AND HER TEAM SPEND UP TO

FOUR DAYS AT A TIME IN THE

FOREST, TRYING TO FIND ANY CLUES

THEY POSSIBLY CAN.

BUT THE FACT IS, THE CHANCES OF

THEM SEEING A CLOUDED LEOPARD IN

FORESTS LIKE THIS ONE ARE

FALLING EVERY DAY.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, CLOUDED

LEOPARDS THRIVED IN GIANT

JUNGLES THAT STRETCHED FROM

NORTHERN INDIA, CLEAR ACROSS

SOUTHEAST ASIA TO TAIWAN, AND

AS FAR SOUTH AS INDONESIA.

BUT SINCE THEN, LOGGING,

AGRICULTURE, AND HUMAN

DEVELOPMENT HAVE DESTROYED MORE

THAN HALF OF THEIR ORIGINAL

HABITAT.

IN THAILAND ALONE, A STAGGERING

88 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S

PRIMARY FORESTS ARE ALREADY

GONE.

AS THEIR HABITAT CONTINUES TO

DISAPPEAR, THE CATS DO TOO.

AND IT'S GETTING HARDER AND

HARDER FOR RESEARCHERS LIKE

KANDA TO GATHER THE DATA NEEDED

TO HELP PROTECT THEM.

THESE DAYS, TO FIND CLOUDED

LEOPARDS FOR SURE, THERE IS ONE

PLACE YOU CAN GO.

AND IT'S NOT THE JUNGLE.

THE TOWN OF TACHILEK IS AN

INTERNATIONAL SMUGGLERS

PARADISE.

IT LIES IN THE INFAMOUS GOLDEN

TRIANGLE, A REGION ON THE

BORDERS OF MYANMAR, THAILAND AND

LAOS.

THIS IS GROUND ZERO IN THE

CLOUDED LEOPARD TRADE.

POVERTY, MILITARY CONFLICT, AND

A THRIVING DRUG TRADE HAVE ALL

HELPED TO MAKE THIS ONE OF THE

MOST LAWLESS CORNERS OF THE

GLOBE, AND A HUB FOR THE BUYING

AND SELLING OF ENDANGERED

SPECIES.

TASSINI WEDPRONSA IS TRYING TO

PUT A STOP TO THE ILLEGAL

CLOUDED LEOPARD TRADE.

SHE WORKS FOR AN ACTIVIST

ORGANIZATION NAMED "WILDAID

THAILAND."

ITS METHODS ARE OFTEN

CONTROVERSIAL.

AND TODAY, TASSINI IS ARMED WITH

AN UNDERCOVER CAMERA.

SHE'S HOPING TO GATHER EVIDENCE

OF THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN CLOUDED

LEOPARD SKINS.

IF SHE SUCCEEDS, WILD AID CAN

USE THE FOOTAGE TO CONVINCE THAI

AND MYANMAR AUTHORITIES TO CRACK

DOWN.

A NATIVE OF THAILAND, TASSINI

IS HOPING THE SELLERS WILL THINK

SHE'S JUST ANOTHER LOCAL BUYER.

BUT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THE TINY

CAMERA THAT TASSINI HAS SEWN

INTO HER SHIRT.

AND NOW, SHE'S ON HER OWN.

IN MANY COUNTRIES, OPENLY

SELLING ENDANGERED ANIMAL PARTS

WOULD BE UNTHINKABLE.

BUT NOT HERE.

LACK OF ENFORCEMENT IS ONE

REASON THESE GOODS ARE FLOODING

IN FROM ACROSS THE REGION,

INCLUDING CHINA, TIBET, AND EVEN

INDIA.

Tassini Wedpronsa: I'M

LOOKING FOR CLOUDED LEOPARD.

narrator: FINALLY, TASSINI

FINDS WHAT SHE'S LOOKING FOR.

THE DISTINCT CLOUD-LIKE PATTERN

IS UNMISTAKABLE.

TASSINI HAS HIT THE JACKPOT.

THE RISING NUMBER OF CLOUDED

LEOPARD SKINS FOR SALE IN PLACES

LIKE TACHILEK IS ONE REASON

DR. JOGAYLE HOWARD HAS COME

TO THAILAND.

Dr. JoGayle Howard: WE HAVE

36 SPECIES OF NONDOMESTIC CATS

ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND MOST OF

THOSE ARE ENDANGERED.

AND CLOUDED LEOPARD IS THE NEXT

SPECIES TO GO IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

narrator: JOGAYLE IS A

VETERINARIAN FROM THE

SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL ZOO IN

WASHINGTON, DC.

Dr. JoGayle Howard: I FIRST

GOT INVOLVED IN CLOUDED

LEOPARDS; ACTUALLY, IT WAS THE

FIRST YEAR I ARRIVED AT THE

NATIONAL ZOO, AND THAT WAS 1980.

IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BREED THEM

THEN, AND IT'S STILL DIFFICULT

TO BREED THEM NOW.

narrator: THAILAND'S KHAO

KHEOW ZOO IS THE SITE OF A

UNIQUE CLOUDED LEOPARD SURVIVAL

PROJECT RUN BY THE SMITHSONIAN'S

NATIONAL ZOO, AND THE NASHVILLE

ZOO IN TENNESSEE.

JOGAYLE IS WORKING WITH A JOINT

THAI-AMERICAN TEAM TO TRY AND

BREED CLOUDED LEOPARDS IN

CAPTIVITY.

IT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE

THE SPECIES--

IF THEY CAN SUCCEED.

Dr. JoGayle: I THINK WHY

THIS PROJECT IS SO IMPORTANT IS

THAT THIS REALLY IS THE MOST

DIFFICULT CAT, I THINK, TO BREED

IN ALL THE 36 SPECIES OF CATS

THAT WE HAVE TO HELP SAVE.

narrator: ONE REASON IT'S SO

HARD TO BREED CLOUDEDS IS A

MYSTERIOUS BEHAVIOR FOUND ONLY

IN MALES.

WHEN A MALE AND FEMALE CLOUDED

ARE PLACED IN THE SAME CAGE TO

MATE, THE MALE CAN SUDDENLY

BECOME AGGRESSIVE AND KILL THE

FEMALE.

NO ONE KNOWS WHY.

TODAY, JOGAYLE AND A TEAM OF

VETERINARIANS ARE VISITING THE

VICTIM OF A MALE ATTACK.

HER NAME IS PUKLUK.

Dr. JoGayle: THIS IS A

FEMALE THAT WAS ATTACKED BY A

MALE, AND IT WAS A VERY DRAMATIC

ATTACK. HER LEG HAD TO BE

AMPUTATED, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'LL

SEE HER MISSING FRONT LEG IS

GONE.

narrator: MEMBERS OF THE

BREEDING TEAM HAVE WITNESSED

THESE KINDS OF ATTACKS BEFORE.

THEY'VE EVEN CAUGHT ONE ON

VIDEO.

THIS TAPE IS FROM THE SUMMER OF

2003.

IT STARTS AS A PLAYFUL

ENCOUNTER.

FIGHTING.

narrator: BUT SUDDENLY, THE

MALE TURNS ON HIS MATE,

LAUNCHING A VICIOUS ASSAULT.

[SHOUTING]

narrator: THE FEMALE CAT

FINALLY BREAKS FREE.

THE KEEPERS ARE RELIEVED.

THIS TIME, THE FEMALE WASN'T

INJURED.

BUT PUKLUK WASN'T SO FORTUNATE.

HER ATTACK HAPPENED AT NIGHT.

SHE WAS FOUND THE NEXT MORNING,

LYING IN A POOL OF BLOOD.

TODAY, THE TEAM IS HERE BECAUSE

SHE'S NOT EATING PROPERLY AND

APPEARS WEAK.

THEY NEED TO TAKE HER TO THE

HOSPITAL FOR TESTS.

WHEN THEY TRY TO MOVE HER, SHE

COULD BECOME VIOLENT, SO THEY

USE A TRANQUILIZER DART.

Dr. JoGayle: WELL, IT'S

ALWAYS A SPECIAL TREAT TO EVEN

BE NEAR A CLOUDED LEOPARD.

BUT WHEN ONE IS ANESTHETIZED, WE

TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

narrator: FOR JOGAYLE,

CAPTIVE ANIMALS LIKE PUKLUK

OFFER THE ONLY CHANCE SHE MAY

GET TO UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF

CLOUDED LEOPARD BIOLOGY AND

BEHAVIOR.

IT'S UNLIKELY THAT

PUKLUK'S EATING PROBLEM IS

RELATED TO THE ATTACK.

BUT THE DAMAGE IT CAUSED WAS

PERMANENT.

Dr. JoGayle: SO HE GOT HER

THROUGH THE CHAIN LINK FENCE,

AND JUST BASICALLY GOT HER LEG

AND RIPPED IT.

THE ONLY ROUTE WE COULD GO WAS

JUST TO AMPUTATE THE LEG AND SHE

HAS BEEN DOING GREAT EVER SINCE,

AND GETS AROUND GREAT AND CLIMBS

JUST LIKE A CLOUDED LEOPARD.

narrator: THE INJURIES TO HER

LEG HAVE MADE IT TOO RISKY TO

TRY AND BREED HER AGAIN.

BECAUSE SHE IS MISSING ONE

LIMB, SHE PROBABLY CANNOT STAND

FOR A BREEDING MALE AND REALLY

SUPPORT HIS WEIGHT FOR A

BREEDING ENCOUNTER.

SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO TAKE

HER OUT OF THE BREEDING PROGRAM.

narrator: JOGAYLE NEEDS TO

FIND WAYS TO PREVENT FUTURE

ATTACKS.

BUT CLOUDED LEOPARDS ARE NOT

LIKE THEIR LARGER COUSINS,

LIONS AND TIGERS.

SCIENTISTS AND FILMMAKERS HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO OBSERVE AND FILM

THESE CATS IN THE WILD FOR

DECADES.

IT'S ENABLED THEM TO LEARN A

LOT ABOUT HOW THEY LIVE, HUNT,

AND RAISE THEIR YOUNG.

CLOUDEDS ARE A VERY DIFFERENT

STORY.

IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO

STUDY CLOUDED LEOPARDS IN THE

DENSE FORESTS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA.

narrator: AND THAT'S WHAT

MAKES THIS VIDEO FOOTAGE TRULY

AMAZING.

IT'S MAY, 2005.

A GERMAN TOURIST IS FILMING HIS

NIGHT DRIVE THROUGH MALAYSIA'S

TABIN WILDLIFE RESERVE WHEN

SUDDENLY, HIS CAMERA LANDS ON

THE IMPOSSIBLE, THE GHOST CAT, A

LIVING, BREATHING CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

THIS MAY BE THE ONLY EXISTING

FOOTAGE OF A CLOUDED LEOPARD IN

THE WILD.

AND AS SUDDENLY AS IT APPEARED,

THE ELUSIVE PREDATOR SLIPS BACK

INTO THE NIGHT.

A CHANCE SIGHTING LIKE THIS ONE

IS WHAT KANDA AND THE RANGERS

HAVE BEEN HOPING FOR FOR YEARS.

THEY KNOW EVIDENCE OF THE CATS

COULD BE ANYWHERE.

BUT TODAY, AGAIN, THERE'S NOT

EVEN A TRACE.

translator: I'VE COME TO LOOK

FOR ANIMAL TRACKS IN THE DAYTIME

BUT THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF

ANIMALS LIKE THE CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

THEY'RE ACTIVE AT NIGHT, HUNTING

PREY, LIKE BIRDS AND DEER.

narrator: BUT KANDA DOESN'T

HUNT CLOUDED LEOPARDS AT NIGHT.

POACHERS AND PREDATORS LIKE

BEARS MAKE IT TOO DANGEROUS.

INSTEAD, SHE AND THE RANGERS ARE

PLACING SPECIAL CAMERA TRAPS IN

THE FOREST.

THEY WILL BE HER EYES IN THE

DARKNESS.

AN INFRARED HEAT SENSOR WILL

TRIGGER THE CAMERA'S SHUTTER

WHENEVER AN ANIMAL CROSSES ITS

BEAM.

EVEN A SINGLE IMAGE COULD SHED

LIGHT ON THE GHOST CAT'S

MYSTERIOUS BEHAVIOR.

BUT MOST OF ALL, KANDA WANTS TO

CONFIRM THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY

STILL HERE.

Kanda: OKAY.

narrator: THEY'LL COME BACK

LATER TO COLLECT THE FILM.

IT MAY SEEM SURPRISING THAT

CLOUDED LEOPARDS ARE SO HARD TO

SEE IN THE WILD--

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ENTER THE

MYANMAR BORDER TOWN OF

TACHILEK--

AND DISCOVER THAT THESE ELUSIVE

CATS CAN SUDDENLY APPEAR

ANYWHERE.

TASSINI WEDPRONSA, FROM THE

ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION,

"WILDAID THAILAND,"

IS STILL TRYING TO GATHER

EVIDENCE OF THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN

CLOUDED LEOPARDS.

SHE THINKS SHE'S FOUND A MAJOR

SUPPLIER, AND WITH A HIDDEN

CAMERA IN HER SHIRT ROLLING,

SHE'S TRYING TO GET HIM TO TELL

HER HOW HIS BUSINESS ACTUALLY

WORKS.

Tassini: YOU CUT THEM.

WHY? BECAUSE YOU TRAP THEM?

YOU USED A TRAP TO CATCH?

OH!

narrator: SCIENTISTS BELIEVE

THERE MAY BE AS FEW AS 10,000

CLOUDED LEOPARDS LEFT IN THE

WILD.

Tassini: YOU DON'T LIKE SHOOT

THEM?

narrator: NO ONE KNOWS HOW

MANY OF THESE ARE KILLED FOR

THEIR SKINS EVERY YEAR.

BUT THIS TRADER ASSURES TASSINI

HE CAN PROVIDE PLENTY MORE.

Tassini: NEXT TIME IF I

SAY--

MANY.

Tassini: MANY. HOW MANY?

EIGHTY.

EIGHTY PIECES.

Tassini: EIGHTY PIECES.

YOU HAVE 80 PIECES.

narrator: TOO MANY QUESTIONS

MIGHT BLOW HER COVER, SO TASSINI

PRETENDS SHE'S READY TO BUY.

Tassini: FIVE, TEN.

OKAY. I'LL TAKE THIS ONE.

narrator: SHE STRIKES A DEAL.

TWO COMPLETE CLOUDED LEOPARD

SKINS FOR 100 US DOLLARS A

PIECE.

AND THEN, SHE TAKES IT ONE STEP

FURTHER.

Tassini: CAN YOU SEND TO MY

HOTEL? I DON'T WANT TO CARRY

THIS MYSELF.

narrator: SHE TELLS THEM SHE

NEEDS TO GET THE GOODS BACK TO

THAILAND, ACROSS THE

INTERNATIONAL BORDER.

THE SELLER AGREES TO SMUGGLE

THEM AT HIS OWN RISK.

THE OFFER IS SIGNIFICANT.

THE EASIER IT IS TO CROSS

BORDERS WITH ILLEGAL ANIMAL

SKINS, THE BIGGER THE POTENTIAL

MARKET, AND THE GREATER THE

CHANCES THAT MORE ENDANGERED

ANIMALS WILL BE KILLED FOR

PROFIT.

WITH EVERYTHING CAUGHT ON HER

CAMERA, TASSINI SAYS SHE'LL

COME BACK LATER TO SEAL THE

DEAL.

Tassini: OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SEE YOU.

narrator: LITTLE DO THE

SELLERS KNOW, SHE WON'T BE BACK.

TASSINI WILL USE THE FOOTAGE SHE

SHOT TO CONVINCE THAI AND

MYANMAR OFFICIALS THAT THE TRADE

IN CLOUDED LEOPARDS IS BOOMING

AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED BEFORE

IT'S TOO LATE.

BUT IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD,

CUTTING OFF THE CROSS BORDER

TRADE OF ENDANGERED SPECIES

ISN'T SO EASY.

AND IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY.

ONLY THE NARROW MAE SAI RIVER

SEPARATES THAILAND FROM MYANMAR.

MOST PEOPLE CROSS THE OFFICIAL

WAY.

BUT OUR CAMERA CAPTURES SOMEONE

WAITING ACROSS THE BORDER,

DIRECTLY UNDER THE IMMIGRATION

BRIDGE AND THE EYES OF THE

OFFICIALS.

AS HE ARRIVES, A BOX IS

MYSTERIOUSLY TOSSED FROM ABOVE.

WHO KNOWS WHAT ILLEGAL GOODS IT

COULD HOLD?

WITH LOOSE IMMIGRATION AND

CUSTOMS CONTROLS, THERE ARE MANY

WAYS TO SMUGGLE ENDANGERED

ANIMAL PARTS ACROSS AN

INTERNATIONAL BORDER.

SMUGGLERS HAVE BEEN DOING IT

WITH OTHER BIG CATS FOR DECADES.

BUT WITH FEWER THAN 7,000 TIGERS

LEFT IN THE WILD TODAY, TIGER

PARTS ARE HARDER TO FIND IN

MARKETS LIKE THIS ONE.

EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT CLOUDED

LEOPARDS HAVE BECOME THE NEXT

CAT OF CHOICE IN THE ILLEGAL

TRADE.

THE CANINES OF CLOUDEDS ARE TORN

OUT AND SOLD AS EXOTIC JEWELRY.

THEIR SKINS ARE USED TO MAKE

CLOTHES.

SOME MEN BELIEVE THAT EATING THE

FLESH OF CLOUDEDS WILL INCREASE

THEIR STRENGTH.

AND SOMETIMES, CLOUDED LEOPARDS

ARE EVEN SOLD ALIVE.

IN AN ILLEGAL ANIMAL MARKET IN

VIETNAM, THIS YOUNG CUB WAS FOR

SALE.

IT'S PRICE, $1,000, ALMOST

TWICE THE AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME

IN VIETNAM.

THE ULTIMATE FATE OF THIS CUB

WILL NEVER BE KNOWN.

TODAY, ALL SIGNS POINT TO THE

FACT THAT CLOUDED LEOPARDS ARE

BEING BOUGHT, SMUGGLED, AND SOLD

IN GREATER AND GREATER NUMBERS.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING THE

MEN WHO ACTUALLY KILL THE CATS--

POACHERS.

WE CONVINCED THESE TWO TO SHOW

US HOW THEY FIND AND CATCH

CLOUDED LEOPARDS.

BUT WE HAD TO AGREE NOT TO

IDENTIFY THEM.

THESE POACHERS HUNT THE CATS,

EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW IT COULD

LAND THEM IN PRISON FOR UP TO

FOUR YEARS.

THE SKIN OF A SINGLE CLOUDED

LEOPARD CAN BRING THEM $50,

ROUGHLY THE SAME AS THE AVERAGE

WEEKLY WAGE IN THAILAND.

[RUSTLING]

MOVEMENT IN A NEARBY TREE

CATCHES THEIR ATTENTION.

THE HUNT IS ON.

THEY'RE HOPING IT'S A CLOUDED

LEOPARD.

THIS TIME, IT WASN'T A CLOUDED,

BUT AN ORIENTAL PIED HORNBILL.

POACHERS KILL THEM TO EAT THEIR

FLESH.

THEY'RE NOT YET ON THE

ENDANGERED LIST, BUT COULD BE

SOON IF THE KILLINGS CONTINUE.

THE REASON THESE HUNTERS ARE

MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN RESEARCHERS

LIKE KANDA AT FINDING CLOUDEDS

IN THE WILD IS A MATTER OF TIME

AND MONEY.

WITH PROFIT AT STAKE, THEY'RE

WILLING TO STAY IN THE FOREST

FOR UP TO 20 DAYS AT A TIME.

AND THEY HUNT DAY--

AND NIGHT.

translator: AT NIGHT, THEY

WILL COME CLOSER, BUT IN THE

DAY, THEY REMAIN FAR AWAY

BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID OF YOU.

narrator: TONIGHT, THE

POACHERS ARE HOPING A DEAD

CHICKEN WILL LURE THE CATS TO A

TRAP.

THE POACHERS SAY THEY'LL FINISH

IT OFF WITH A BULLET TO THE

HEAD.

EACH CAT THAT THE POACHERS KILL

MEANS THE LOSS OF GENERATIONS OF

POTENTIAL CLOUDED LEOPARD

OFFSPRING.

THAT'S WHY DR. JOGAYLE HOWARD'S

PROJECT AT THE KHAO KHEOW

BREEDING CENTER IS SO CRUCIAL TO

THEIR SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES.

AND AFTER YEARS OF PATIENT AND

OFTEN DISTRESSING WORK, THERE

ARE SIGNS OF SUCCESS.

SHE'S COME TO THAILAND JUST IN

TIME TO BE ON HAND WHEN A FEMALE

CAT NAMED NUMFUN DELIVERS

HER CUBS.

Dr. JoGayle: THEY TOOK A

LONG TIME, AND A LOT OF

PATIENCE.

IT PAID OFF AND HOPEFULLY,

SHE'LL BE A GOOD MOTHER.

narrator: THREE YEARS AGO,

THE TEAM CHOSE A MATE FOR

NUMFUN, A MALE CAT NAMED SONGLA.

BUT IT TOOK ALMOST TWO YEARS

FOR THE CATS TO SUCCESSFULLY

MATE.

NUMFUN SURVIVED HER FIRST

BREEDING ENCOUNTER AND CARRIED

HER CUB TO TERM.

IT WAS A THRILLING TRIUMPH.

BUT WHAT FOLLOWED WAS

HEARTBREAKING.

Dr. JoGayle: BECAUSE NUMFUN

WAS NOT A TAME ANIMAL, AND NOT

USED TO PEOPLE AT ALL, SHE WAS

VERY SCARED OF PEOPLE, REALLY,

AND ANY NOISE, BUT EVEN WHEN THE

FIRST CUB CAME, SHE HAD NEVER

HAD A CUB. SO IT SCARED HER

PROBABLY, AND THEN SHE DID KILL

THE CUB.

narrator: THE NERVOUS

FIRST-TIME MOTHER KILLED HER CUB

WHEN IT WAS BORN.

NOW THAT NUMFUN IS PREGNANT

AGAIN, THEY'RE WORRIED THAT THE

SAME THING COULD HAPPEN.

JOGAYLE AND THE TEAM USE A

MONITOR TO WATCH NUMFUN

FROM A DISTANCE SO THEY DON'T

DISTURB HER.

JOGAYLE IS NERVOUS, BUT EXCITED.

NUMFUN IS THE FIRST CLOUDED

LEOPARD EVER TO BE FILMED GIVING

BIRTH.

THE NATURAL AND HUMAN FORCES

THAT THREATEN CLOUDED LEOPARD

SURVIVAL LEAVE MANY UNANSWERED

QUESTIONS.

HOW MANY MORE CATS WILL POACHERS

KILL AND SELL BEFORE IT'S TOO

LATE?

ON LAWLESS BORDERS LIKE THIS

ONE, WILL THE MAJOR TRADERS OF

CLOUDED LEOPARD SKINS EVER BE

CAUGHT?

WILL RESEARCHERS IN THE WILD BE

ABLE TO OBSERVE EVEN BASIC

CLOUDED LEOPARD BEHAVIORS?

AND, WILL SCIENTISTS FIND WAYS

TO OVERCOME THE DANGERS THAT

CLOUDEDS POSE TO THEMSELVES?

TONIGHT, JOGAYLE BELIEVES SHE

MAY BE CLOSER TO FINDING OUT.

Dr. JoGayle: SHE, AT LEAST

NOW, KNOWS WHAT TO EXPECT, AND

HOPEFULLY WILL NOT FREAK OUT

WHEN SHE FIRST SEES THAT CUB.

narrator: NUMFUN CIRCLES

ONE LAST TIME--

AND FINALLY, A TINY TAIL

EMERGES. IT'S A CUB.

THE FIRST TIME SHE GAVE BIRTH TO

ONE, THE NERVOUS MOTHER KILLED

IT.

THIS TIME, JOGAYLE AND RICK HOLD

THEIR BREATH AS NUMFUN DELIVERS

THREE MORE CUBS.

AND THEN, JOGAYLE SEES NUMFUN

NURSING AND CLEANING HER CUBS,

CALMLY.

IT'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE WAS HOPING

FOR.

THE CUBS ARE SAFE.

Dr. JoGayle: THAT'S PERFECT.

narrator: AFTER THREE DECADES

OF TRYING TO OVERCOME THE

CHALLENGES OF BREEDING CLOUDEDS,

THE SAFE BIRTH OF NUMFUN'S CUBS

IS EVIDENCE THAT SCIENTISTS

ARE FINALLY GETTING CLOSER TO

BEING ABLE TO SAVE CLOUDED

LEOPARDS IN CAPTIVITY, AND MAYBE

ONE DAY IN THE WILD.

THE TIME HAS COME FOR KANDA

TO COLLECT THE FILM FROM HER

CAMERAS.

THE CAMERA TRAPS HAVE WORKED.

THEIR PICTURES BRING ALIVE A

NIGHTTIME WORLD THAT FEW HUMANS

WILL EVER SEE FOR THEMSELVES.

A PAIR OF PORCUPINES--

A CURIOUS CIVET--

A BARKING DEER--

ALL POTENTIAL CLOUDED LEOPARD

PREY.

CLOUDED LEOPARD COMPETITORS,

TOO.

AN ASIAN JACKAL--

A MALAYAN SUN BEAR--

THE CAMERAS HAVE EVEN CAUGHT

ARMED POACHERS--

AND CLOUDED LEOPARDS.

THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A FULL GROWN

MALE.

PERHAPS IT WAS SEARCHING FOR

FOOD, OR TRACKING A MATE, OR

EVEN TRYING TO EVADE POACHERS.

AT LEAST NOW, KANDA HAS CONCRETE

EVIDENCE THAT CLOUDED LEOPARDS

ARE STILL OUT THERE.

AND SHE'S HOPEFUL THAT ONE DAY,

SHE WILL ACTUALLY SEE ONE FOR HERSELF.