54 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



apoplexy within a week after its arrival. It may be remarked in this 

 connection that the best time to bring them down is during the height 

 of the cold weather in the plains, and even then it is necessary to be 

 extremely careful. Its transport ought to be so arranged that it may 

 be despatched to England as soon after its arrival in the plains as 



(51) THE CLOUDED-LEOPARD. 

 (FELIS NEBULOSA— Griffith.) 



Description. — Size of a small leopard ; the characteristic features 

 of this animal are its colour and the markings of the body, the former 

 varies from earthy brown to light yellowish brown ; the lower parts 

 of the body and the inner side of the limbs whitish ; the markings of 

 the body are very irregular, the head and limbs being spotted, and the 

 sides divided into irregularly- shaped elongated patches by narrow pale 

 coloured bands ; tail ringed with black marks. Irregular black marks 

 across the throat. 



Hab. — South-Eastern Himalayas, Sikhim, Bhutan, at moderate 

 elevations, Assam hills, hilly parts of Burmah, Siam, the Malay 

 peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 A specimen obtained in 1887 lived for about two years. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — As the animal is essentially arboreal in its habits, it 

 ought to have branches of trees in its cage, and there ought to be 

 a box for retirement. Like the lynx and caracal, it requires to be 

 kept apart from the other smaller carnivorous animals, as it evidently 

 dislikes the smell which is unavoidably perceptible in a structure 

 occupied by a large number of smaller carnivora. 



Food. — Beef has been found to disagree with this animal. It 

 thrives best on fowls, pigeons, and rabbits given alive, but this kind of 

 feeding is necessarily expensive. Mutton agrees with it better than 

 beef, but it is expensive also. No clouded-leopard has ever bred in 

 this garden. 



Transport. — A box, 4 feet long, 3 feet broad, and 2 feet 6 inches 

 high, made of planks on three sides and iron oars about 2 inches 

 apart in front, will do for transporting a clouded leopard. 



Treatment in sickness. 



The diseases from which these animals have been observed to 

 suffer are tumour on the head and dysentery. 



A young animal obtained in 1880 suffered from a tumour on its 

 head, which rendered it partially blind. The tumour was opened and 

 its contents— a quantity of straw-coloured fluid — let out, but after some 

 time it formed again and ultimately the animal died from its effects. 



