Which Side Is A Leopard Clouded?

why, on the outside, of course.

There's something terribly exciting in reading reports of new animal species still being discovered in "our" time. And when the species in question is the beautiful "clouded leopard", even more so. (The "Neofelis Nebulosa" - such an AWESOME name.)

But one little fact about these kitties is a bit, shall we say, worrisome:

" In captivity, clouded leopards present a reproductive challenge. Unfortunately, there is a high incidence of aggression between males and females, sometimes resulting in the death of the female."

I mean, sure, every male occasionally has his "not tonight dear, I have to rip this gazelle from limb to limb" moment or maybe he just wants to watch Letterman or read a book, but killing the female to avoid sex is simply too much.

So there you have it- breaking news, zoology, humor, marital psychology, all in one convenient place.
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BTW, this news item in The Hindu says one of the Indian zoos has a Clouded Leopard. Here's a picture of the animal in Shillong Zoo.

Indeed, apna desh is home to this species too. Check out this excellent scientific document, authored by a scientist from Calcutta, on the discovery of the species. (Link to a PDF Document.)