The Sabangau Felid Project is a collaborative project between the Wildlife Conservation research Unit (WildCRU) in the University of Oxford and OuTrop. We are asking key questions about felid density and abundance in this under-studied habitat, investigating the threats to felids and mitigating these through work with local communities. This is the first long-term, intensive camera-trapping study of clouded leopards and other felids in Indonesian peat-swamp forest. Our research has confirmed that Sabangau supports populations of four of the five Bornean cats, including the largest predator on Borneo, the clouded leopard; plus the flat-headed and marbled cats, photographed for the first time in peat-swamp forest.

A total of 44 cameras have been placed in 27 locations throughout the Natural Laboratory, covering an area of 145 km2. Between 2008 and 2010, the team captured 29 photos of leopard cats (at least 8 males and 5 females), 9 photos of flat-headed cats (unknown sex, one kitten) and 3 photos of marbled cats (1 male and 1 unknown sex). Using these data, we estimate a population density of of 2.75 clouded leopards / 100 km2 in the mixed-swamp forest habitat sub-type in Sabangau, with overlapping male territories. Extrapolation gives an estimate of 154 clouded leopards throughout the Sabangau mixed-swamp forest. More data are being collected for the low-pole and tall-interior habitat sub-types in this forest matrix.