The Hindu : National : Survey on for conservation of clouded leopards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 16, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Survey on for conservation of clouded leopards

Kolkata: A survey is on to ascertain the exact number of the reclusive and endangered clouded leopard at the Buxa Tiger Rerserve (BTR) in north Bengal, to prepare an action plan for their conservation.

“A preliminary survey is being conducted at Buxa to study the habitat of clouded leopards and estimate their number in the reserve, which is contiguous to the Manas National Park in Assam,” R. P. Saini, BTR Field Director told PTI.

He said sightings of the animal, which lives in dense forests, was very rare as it was a very shy creature and comes out to hunt only at night.

Irregularly-shaped, dark-edged eclipses resembling clouds on its coat give the leopard its name. Its scientific name,Neofelis, is derived from neo, meaning ‘new,’ and felis, meaning ‘small cat.’

To a question, Mr. Saini said there might be around 15 clouded leopards at Buxa.

After the study, a plan would be formulated for the conservation of the species.

The clouded leopard is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In India, clouded leopards are found largely in the semi-evergreen rainforests of the north-eastern States.

Ajanta Dey, project coordinator of Nature, Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), an NGO carrying out the survey jointly with the Forest Department, said cameras would be installed in Buxa to photograph the wild cat.

“Initially we will install a few cameras and depending on the success, we will have more camera traps,” she said.

Asked why the project titled “Population dynamics of clouded leopard” was taken up, she said one was caught a few years ago. “We then decided to do the survey jointly with the forest department to study the habitat of the nocturnal animal.”

Meanwhile, a tiger census would begin at Buxa in January.

Mr. Saini said the Forest Department would focus on collecting tiger statistics, which would then be used for DNA profiling of each tiger.

In the second stage, the methodology decided by the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests would be followed. This would include camera traps, he said. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National