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Sunda Clouded Leopard

Neofelis diardi

Status: Vulnerable as their tropical forests are being cut down for logging, and illegally hunted for their skins.

In the lowland rainforests of Borneo the Sunda clouded leopard is a secretive spotted shadow amongst the trees, solitary in its hunting habits along the ground and using their arboreal skills to climb trees to avoid danger. Iban mythology tells of feline spirit creatures called remaung, warrior spirits that were believed to weaken the souls of enemy warriors. Remaung is usually in reference to tiger beings, however tigers went extinct in Borneo centuries ago and so clouded leopards have since then taken on that mantle. They are also the largest of the smaller cats of Borneo and can be mistaken for a small tiger.

 

References:
Sellato, Bernard. "The Other Tiger: History, Beliefs, and Rituals in Borneo". Temasek Working Paper Series, Temasek History Research Center, No 1, 2019, Yusof Ishak Institute.
Sampurai, Indai. "Iban Mythology: Remaung", 2019. https://tropaws.wordpress.com/2019/06/05/the-spiritual-creatures-of-the-land-in-iban-mythology-remaung/
Traude, Gavin. (2004). Iban Ritual Textiles. Leiden: KITLV Press.