Taiwan, from the seashore to an elevation of , in fragmented lowlands and inside protected areas. This survey also included 13,000 camera trap nights between 2000 and 2004 in Tawu Mountain Nature Reserve and the adjacent Twin Ghost Lake Important Wildlife Area. During a nationwide survey effort of 128,349 camera trap days, 12 potential prey species were recorded, including the sambar (Rusa unicolor), the Formosan serow (Capricornis swinhoei), Reeves's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), the Formosan macaque (Macaca cyclopis) Swinhoe's pheasant (Lophura swinhoii) and rodents. However, not a single clouded leopard was recorded. It is therefore considered extirpated. Alleged sightings In the summer of 2018, two different groups of rangers allegedly sighted a clouded leopard in Taitung County. One group claimed to have seen an individual climbing a tree and hunting goats on a cliff. The other group contended to have observed an individual darting past a scooter on a road and climbing into a tree. Cultural influence The clouded leopard is highly respected by the Rukai people culture who believe that their ancestors followed a clouded leopard to their ancestral land. They consider the hunting of clouded leopards a taboo. In Paiwan culture, the pelt of clouded leopard can only be worn by the nobility. In both cultures, it is believed that the clouded leopard and the Formosan black bear are originally white, until one day they decided to paint each other. The bear meticulously painted the leopard with exquisite patterns. The clouded leopard painted the bear all black, except for the V-shaped area before the chest, which remained white for various reasons depending on the version of the story. As an apology for the bad work, now the clouded leopards only eat a part of their prey, leaving the rest for the bear. The Taoyuan Leopards professional basketball team's name is inspired by the species. See also List of protected species in Taiwan List of endemic species of Taiwan References External links Focus Taiwan: Taiwan's clouded leopard extinct: zoologists Neofelis Extinct carnivorans Extinct mammals of Asia Mammal extinctions since 1500 Mammals described in 1862 Taxa named by Robert Swinhoe Mammals of Taiwan Species made extinct by human activities Extinct animals of Taiwan