KEY POINTS:
JAKARTA - A rare leopard found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra has turned out to be an entirely new species of large cat, according to a study of the feline's DNA.
The secretive clouded leopard which lives in remote rainforest regions was originally thought to be the same species as leopards found on the mainland of Southeast Asia. Scientists from the United States National Cancer Institute carried out a genetic analysis of the cat's DNA and found that the differences between the two types of leopard are about as great as those between other feline species such as lions, tigers, snow leopards and jaguars.
The clouded leopard can grow as large as a small panther. It has small "cloud" markings and a double stripe along its back. Between 5000 to 11,000 live on Borneo.
- INDEPENDENT
