A rare leopard cat and two cubs have been found in Kalika Rural Municipality 2 of Rasuwa district.
The family had taken shelter in a hollow rock. The incident was reported to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the National Trust for Nature Conservation, both of which also sent staff to the site. However, the leopard cat left the area on its own, along with the cubs, in a few days.
In Nepal, the leopard cat is usually found in the mid-hill and Terai regions. Among Nepal’s protected areas, the leopard cat has been spotted in Khaptad, Shuklaphanta, Langtang National Park, Makalu Barun, Shivapuri, and Chitwan National Parks.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the species as Vulnerable (VU) in case of Nepal. In Nepal, leopard cats face threats such as habitat loss, hunting, and persecution by local communities who view them as a threat to livestock and crops.
