Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (Ecology)
Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (Ecology)
Why In News:
On International Clouded Leopard Day (4 August), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released India's first dedicated Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (CAP), prepared under the Government of India-GEF-UNDP initiative.
Source: PIB Release, 4 Aug 2026
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2294168®=3&lang=1
About the Clouded Leopard
Scientific name: Neofelis nebulosa (Mainland Clouded Leopard).
IUCN status: Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; included in Appendix I of CITES.
Domestic protection: Listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the highest level of legal protection in India.
The Clouded Leopard inhabits grasslands, shrublands, and dense subtropical to tropical forests, usually found up to an altitude of 7,000 feet.
It is distributed from the Himalayan foothills across Southeast Asia to China.
In India, it is found mainly in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, and the northeastern states such as Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Ecological role: An arboreal, nocturnal predator that plays a key role in regulating prey populations and maintaining forest ecosystem balance.
Key Features of the Action Plan
14 priority landscapes: The CAP identifies 14 priority conservation landscapes across Northeast India for focused conservation action.
Four pillars: Habitat protection and restoration, strengthening forest connectivity/wildlife corridors, standardised scientific monitoring (including eDNA analysis), and community participation.
IDWH linkage: The species has been brought under the Species Recovery Programme of the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) centrally sponsored scheme.
State-level action: Meghalaya separately launched "Mission Clouded Leopard" on the same day, the clouded leopard being its official State Animal.
Key Facts for Prelims
Population data gap: There is still no reliable population estimate for the clouded leopard in India, unlike tigers or elephants.
Habitat loss: Nearly 34% of the Mainland Clouded Leopard's habitat was lost between 2000 and 2018 due to deforestation.
Species Recovery Programme: Covers 22+ critically endangered/priority species under IDWH, including the Great Indian Bustard, Dugong, and Snow Leopard, alongside the Clouded Leopard.