State begins first-ever comprehensive population survey as Conrad Sangma unveils conservation mission on International Clouded Leopard Day.
Shillong, Aug 4: Meghalaya has launched an ambitious ‘Mission Clouded Leopard’ to safeguard its elusive state animal, with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announcing that an ongoing scientific survey has already identified 21 individual clouded leopards in the Balpakram landscape.
The announcement, made on International Clouded Leopard Day, marks the state’s first dedicated conservation programme focused on the vulnerable big cat, which is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and enjoys the highest level of legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Sharing the initiative on X, Sangma said the mission would serve as a long-term roadmap for protecting the species and its habitats across Meghalaya.
Today, on International Clouded Leopard Day, Meghalaya has launched Mission Clouded Leopard, a dedicated programme for the conservation of our State Animal.
The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is protected under Schedule I of… pic.twitter.com/JEaa59XY81
— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) August 4, 2026
“The Mission covers habitat protection and restoration, scientific research and long-term monitoring, stronger protection measures, landscape connectivity, capacity building of frontline staff, community participation and public awareness,” the Chief Minister said.
The programme will be guided by the Meghalaya Clouded Leopard Action Plan, currently being prepared by the Forest and Environment Department.
One of the mission’s key highlights is the state’s first scientific effort to estimate the clouded leopard population. While researchers have so far identified 21 individual animals in the Balpakram landscape, Sangma said these are preliminary findings and that the survey will now be expanded to all major clouded leopard habitats in the state.
“The assessment will now be extended to all major habitats in the State so that Meghalaya has, for the first time, a comprehensive population estimate of its State Animal,” he said.
The clouded leopard inhabits several forest landscapes in Meghalaya, including Nokrek, Balpakram, Baghmara, Narpuh and Nongkhyllem, as well as community-managed forests, making the participation of local communities central to the mission’s success.
Calling the initiative a collective conservation effort, Sangma urged traditional institutions, youth, researchers and conservation organisations to work alongside the government.
“A good part of this work is still ahead of us. I invite our traditional institutions, local communities, youth, researchers and conservation organisations to take it forward with the Government,” he said.
The launch of the mission positions Meghalaya among the few states in India to roll out a species-specific conservation programme for the clouded leopard, an elusive arboreal predator regarded as one of Asia’s least-studied wild cats.
