INTERNATIONAL CLOUDED LEOPARD DAY - ENVIRONMENT

INTERNATIONAL CLOUDED LEOPARD DAY - ENVIRONMENT

News: Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati emphasized the pressing challenges in wildlife conservation during a function to observe International Clouded Leopard Day.

 

What’s in the news?

  • The event was held at the Mizoram University campus near Aizawl city.
  • On August 4th, International Clouded Leopard Day raises awareness of the plight of the clouded leopard.
  • International Clouded Leopard Day (ICLD) is a day of international awareness and an attempt to increase the profile of clouded leopards both in captivity and in the wild. 
  • Howlett's Wild Animal Park founded International Clouded Leopard Day in 2018 to raise awareness about the Clouded leopard. The organization studies and supports conservation and preservation of endangered species around the world.

 

Clouded leopard:

Scientific Name : Neofelis nebulosa

 

Description :

    • It is a medium-sized cat, 60 to 110 cm long and weighing between 11 and 20kg.
    • 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 a stocky build and, proportionately, the longest canine teeth of any living feline.
    • It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
    • It is the State animal of Meghalaya.
    • It has been added to India’s Recovery Programme for Critically Endangered Species to aid more research and strengthen conservation efforts.

 

Habitat:

    • Clouded Leopard prefers grassland, shrubs, subtropical and dense tropical forest up to a height of 7,000 feet occurring from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China.
    • In India, it occurs in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Meghalaya subtropical forests, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
    • Clouded leopard’s presence is positively related to:

      • Dense forest cover
      • High rainfall
      • Hard terrain
      • Low human presence

 

Factors affecting Clouded leopards distribution:

    • Deforestation
    • Changing rainfall patterns
    • Human-animal conflict
    • Development projects

 

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/mizoram-guv-calls-for-protecting-rare-species-on-clouded-leopard-day/articleshow/112313895.cms