Shillong, Aug 8: International Clouded Leopard Day, observed globally on August 4, was marked in Meghalaya on Friday through a collaborative programme organised by the Meghalaya Biodiversity Board (MBB), Eastern Himalayas Marbled Cat Project and the Indian Youth Biodiversity Network (IYBN), Meghalaya Chapter.
Representatives from select Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) across the state came together to discuss the ongoing and future conservation work for the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and other wildcat species found in Meghalaya’s forests.
Giridhar Malla — an expert who outlined wildcat conservation initiatives across Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya — spoke on fostering a “hunter-to-guardian” mindset and stressed that clouded leopards require dense forest canopy for survival. Malla’s speech becomes important at a time when the North East is losing its green cover at a faster rate than thought.
An interactive session allowed BMC members to exchange and record vernacular names for the clouded leopard from their respective regions, contributing to both ecological and cultural documentation.
