New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) India has launched the Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (CAP) to reaffirm its commitment to the conservation of one of Asia’s most elusive wild cats, Environment Ministry officials said on Tuesday.
The announcement was made to mark the International Clouded Leopard Day, celebrated on August 4 every year.
The action plan provides a comprehensive framework for securing habitats, restoring forest connectivity, strengthening scientific monitoring and empowering local communities for conservation of the species.
Clouded leopard is among the most evolutionarily distinct and among the least studied felids in Asia, occupying a unique ecological niche as an arboreal predator in the forests of Northeast India and the Eastern Himalaya, according to a 2026 technical report of CAP for clouded leopard.
It added that historically, the species was reported across Northeast’s forested hills and described as relatively common during the 19th century, but widespread deforestation and hunting through the 20th century caused sharp declines.
By the late 1900s, the clouded leopard was feared to be extirpated from many parts of its Indian range.
“Today, clouded leopards persist in small, isolated populations across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and northern parts of West Bengal and Bihar… However, there is still no reliable estimate of the species’ total population in India,” said the report.
It highlighted that the species has a presence across multiple protected areas in the northeastern states, but conservation attention outside these areas remains limited.
In India, the clouded leopard is listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, providing it absolute protection from hunting, trade and possession.
A key component of the CAP of the clouded leopard is the identification of 14 priority conservation landscapes across the Northeast.
It also provides for standardised scientific monitoring through camera traps, occupancy surveys, genetics and environmental DNA, enabling improved understanding of the species and its habitat requirements.
“Recognising the critical role of local communities in wildlife conservation, the action plan promotes community-based conservation and sustainable livelihood support. It also encourages transboundary cooperation with neighbouring range countries for coordinated conservation of the species across its range,” said the official. PTI ALC ALC KSS KSS
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.