What the study found
The study found that the Paiwan people of Taiwan do not treat the Formosan clouded leopard’s disappearance as a final extinction. Instead, they समझ it as a shift from physical absence to a spiritual or ghostly form of presence.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that this case shows the importance of considering alternative ways of understanding animals and extinction. They conclude that paying attention to these different ontologies, or ways of being and relating, may help better engage with human–animal bonds in times of species loss.
What the researchers tested
The article uses ethnographic fieldwork among the Paiwan people in Taiwan. It traces local narratives and memories about the clouded leopard, called likulau in Paiwan, and compares these understandings with scientific discussions about reintroduction.
What worked and what didn't
The fieldwork showed that the likulau remains part of the Paiwan cultural and emotional landscape through memory, spirituality, and territorial ties. The article also reports that discussions with scientists about reintroduction produced ontological friction, because extinction “makes little sense” in Paiwan understandings.
What to keep in mind
This summary is based only on the abstract, so detailed methods, sample size, and limitations are not described. The findings are specific to the Paiwan relationship with the Formosan clouded leopard in Taiwan.
Key points
- The Paiwan do not describe the clouded leopard’s disappearance as a final extinction.
- The study says the animal is understood as continuing in spiritual or ghostly form.
- Local narratives and memories keep the likulau present in cultural and emotional life.
- Scientific ideas about reintroduction and Paiwan understandings are described as creating ontological friction.
- The authors argue for considering alternative ontologies when thinking about extinction.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Paiwan view clouded leopard loss as presence, not final extinction
- Authors:
- Agathe Lemaitre
- Institutions:
- Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-23
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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