Kolkata: A survey is underway to ascertain the exact number of the reclusive and endangered clouded leopards 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, Field Director of BTR told reporters.
He said sighting of clouded leopard, which lives in dense
forests, was very rare as it is very shy by nature and comes
out to hunt only at night.
Irregularly-shaped, dark-edged eclipses resembling clouds
on its coat gives the leopard its name.
To a question, Saini said their number at Buxa might be
around 15.
After the study, a plan would be formulated for the
conservation of the species, the scientific name of which is
Neofelis, originating from neo, meaning 'new', and felis,
meaning 'small cat'.
Clouded leopard is classified as vulnerable by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) and listed in Schedule I of the Indian
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
In India, clouded leopards are found largely in the
semi-evergreen and rain forests in the northeastern states.
Ajanta Dey, project coordinator of Nature, Environment
and Wildlife Society (NEWS), an NGO which was carrying out the
survey jointly with the forest department, said cameras would
be installed in the Buxa Tiger Reserve to photograph the
rare 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 entitled "Population dynamics of
clouded leopard" was taken up, she said one was caught a few
years ago.
"We then have decided to do the survey jointly with
the forest department to study the habitat of the nocturnal
animal," she said.
Meanwhile, the tiger census at Buxa would begin in
January to determine the number of big cats.
Saini said in January, the forest department would
focus on collecting tiger statistics at Buxa which would be
used for DNA profiling of each tiger.
In the second stage, the methodology decided by the
Union Forest and Environment ministry would be followed for
the tiger count which would include camera traps, he said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 15, 2009, 16:19