GUWAHATI, May 7 � Two hand-raised clouded leopard cubs have been radio-collared as a step towards their return to the wild under an initiative of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and its partner the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The radio-collars will help rehabilitators track the movement of the cubs as they leave human care and begin exploring on their own.�
According to WTI, the tree-dwelling species found in India�s northeast region, the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is in peril today with only about 10,000 remaining in the wild. The clouded leopard is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and is classified �vulnerable� in IUCN Red List of threatened species.
A WTI press release stated �BTC has been supporting this effort to rehabilitate these clouded leopards in Ripu Reserve Forest - a part of Manas Tiger Reserve - and we are eagerly waiting the results. The animal is seen in limited numbers in these forests and this effort will contribute in the conservation of this rare animal. The council is very thankful to IFAW-WTI for this venture,� said GC Basumatary, Council Head, Forest Department, BTC.
�Apart from occasional conservation surveys, there have been no initiatives to study this elusive and secretive species. Unlike common leopards, the clouded leopard is a specialist inhabiting forest canopies and predating on a specific range of prey species,� said Dr NVK Ashraf, WTI Wildlife rescue director.
The orphaned cubs, rescued by the Assam forest department in March last year, were hand-raised at IFAW-WTI mobile veterinary service field station in Kokrajhar. In September, 2009, the two cubs were relocated to Manas National Park for in situ acclimatisation.
�The cubs have undergone eight months of acclimatisation in the wild. Initially, they were taken for walks during the day, while being kept in a spacious enclosure at night for safety. In the past two months, the cubs were allowed to be in the wild 24/7. As the cubs are now free-ranging and no longer dependent on the enclosure, it was prudent to radio-collar them for monitoring,� added Dr Ashraf.
