Meghalaya launches Mission Clouded Leopard, cites 21 big cats in one park

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma unveiled Mission Clouded Leopard on 4 August 2026 to protect the mainland clouded leopard, the State animal, The Hindu reported. The mission covers habitat protection and restoration, scientific research and monitoring, stronger protection measures, landscape connectivity, training for frontline staff, community participation and public awareness, and will be guided by a Clouded Leopard Action Plan the Forest and Environment Department is preparing. Sangma said an ongoing scientific assessment has so far identified 21 individual clouded leopards in Balpakram National Park, and that the survey will extend to all the State's major habitats, including Nokrek, Baghmara, Narpuh and Nongkhyllem, to produce Meghalaya's first comprehensive population estimate. The species is listed vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The Hindu also cited a Conservation Action Plan released the same day by the Wildlife Institute of India, which said India holds one of the world's most important remaining populations of the species.