A clouded leopard was recovering after being shot in the Khlong Phanom National Park in the southern province but it may be disabled for its swollen brain.
Piya Serirak, veterinarian at the Protected Areas Regional Office 4 in the province, said the leopard was shot in the back of its neck.
Naturally clouded leopards lived on trees. The shot leopard might fall and its head hit the ground. The impact on its brain might impair its vision and veterinarians would be closely monitoring its conditions in the next 10-14 days, he said.
A bullet found with the leopard was sent to police that had yet to identify the hunter.
Clouded leopards are protected wildlife under Thai law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers them as an endangered species. (TNA)
