India Launches Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan on International Clouded Leopard Day

5 August 2026National

On International Clouded Leopard Day (August 4), India released its first dedicated Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan (CAP), cleared at the 91st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL) held at Coimbatore (July 2026). The plan identifies 14 priority conservation landscapes across Northeast India and provides for habitat and corridor restoration, standardised monitoring using camera traps, occupancy surveys and environmental DNA (eDNA), and community engagement. The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

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Clouded leopard: Neofelis nebulosa | IUCN: Vulnerable | WL(P) Act 1972 Schedule I | State animal of Meghalaya | Largest arboreal cat of Northeast India

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India unveiled a dedicated Clouded Leopard Conservation Action Plan naming 14 priority Northeast landscapes on International Clouded Leopard Day (Aug 4, 2026).

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