(IN): 5 skins of rare Clouded Leopard seized

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*5 skins of rare Clouded Leopard seized

 

26 Febrauary 2008

 

*Five skins of the endangered Clouded Leopard (*Neofelis nebulosa*) were

seized by Wildlife Division- 3 of the West Bengal Forest Department on 25

February 2008 at Jaigaon, on the Indo- Bhutan border. The illegal haul

comprised of skins of two adults, one sub-adult and two cubs. Acting on a

tip off, the raid was led by the D.F.O Cooch Behar, Mr. Manindra Biswas. A

resident of Jaigaon was arrested while on a bus to Siliguri, from where he

intended to move into Nepal. According to senior forest department

personnel, the accused is said to be one of the most wanted wildlife traders

on the Indo-Bhutan border. He is now in custody and was produced before the

Alipurduar Sub-divisional court today, on 26th February 2008.

 

There have been two other incidents in recent times involving Clouded

Leopards. In 2004 one Clouded Leopard was killed in Buxa Tiger Reserve, and

in 2005 one Clouded Leopard skin was seized by the Kalchini police.

 

The Clouded Leopard falls in Schedule1 of The Wildlife (Protection) Act.

It also falls under Appendix 1 of CITES. Trade in this species is strictly

prohibited.

 

The Clouded Leopard is the smallest of the big cat species in India and is

considered to be one of the most spectacularly patterned mammals in the

world. Its distribution is restricted to North West Bengal, Sikkim, and

North East India where the population status is unknown, but it is said to

be declining. It is a solitary animal, the sighting of which is extremely

rare. Poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation are the major conservation

threats to this species.

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WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)

S-25 Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110017, India

Tel: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5920 & 4163.5921

Fax: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5924

E-mail: wpsi

Website: www.wpsi-india.org

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