Clouded Leopard

Clouded Leopard Latest News

Recently, on the occasion of International Clouded Leopard Day, India has reaffirmed its commitment to the conservation of one of Asia’s most elusive wild cats through the newly launched Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (CAP).  

About Clouded Leopard

• It is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China.
• There are two species of clouded leopards:
  • The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), found on the mainland of southeastern Asia, and the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
• Distribution
  • It is found from Nepal, Bangladesh, and India through Indochina to Sumatra and Borneo, and northeastward to southern China.
  • In India, it is found in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Habitat
  • They prefer to live in lowland tropical rainforests. 
  • However, they can also be found in dry woodlands and secondary forests, and in Borneo.
• Features
  • It is named after the distinctive ‘clouds’ on its coat – ellipses partially edged in black, with the insides a darker colour than the background colour of the pelt.
  • It has an exceptionally long tail for balancing, which can be as long as the body itself, thick with black ring markings.
  • They are arboreal and nocturnal inhabitants.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Key Facts about Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan

• It is prepared under the Government of India–GEF–UNDP initiative.
• It provides a comprehensive framework for securing habitats, restoring forest connectivity, strengthening scientific monitoring and empowering local communities for conservation of the species.
• Key components: Identification of 14 priority conservation landscapes across Northeast India, along with landscape-scale habitat restoration and corridor conservation to strengthen connectivity between forest habitats.
• The CAP provides for standardised scientific monitoring through camera traps, occupancy surveys, genetics and environmental DNA (eDNA).
• It also encourages transboundary cooperation with neighbouring range countries for coordinated conservation of the species across its range.

Source: PIB

‹ ›