Some good wildlife conservation news from India for a change. Two rare male clouded leopard cubs (neofelis nebulosa), whose elliptical coat patterns rival the tiger's stripes, will be released into protected forest of Assam. They have been hand reared and are undergoing a prolonged period of acclimatization before being set free. The location for the release was chosen based on criteria that enhance their survival chances. The cubs were confiscated when less than a month old from a villager who would probably have sold them into the exotic pet trade Both cubs have gained weight and now eating meat. Fewer than 10,000 clouded leopards survive in the wild. The are persecuted for their beautiful pelts, bones and the illegal exotic pet trade. They live mostly in the moist forests of the Himalayan foothills of India and Nepal. Green Kudos to Wildlife Trust of India for rescuing these adorable representatives of their kind.[photo credit: Wildlife Trust of India]