The Second Transboundary Meeting and Stakeholder Consultation on small wild cat conservation was convened on 13–14 November 2025 at Phuentsholing, Bhutan, under the GoI-UNDP-GEF project on strengthening conservation and resilience of globally significant wild cat landscapes. The meeting brought together officials, conservation practitioners, and partner organizations from India, Bhutan, and Nepal to strengthen regional collaboration for the conservation of small wild cats and their habitats.

The consultation focused on enhancing transboundary cooperation for research, monitoring, habitat management, outreach, and information sharing related to small wild cat species across shared landscapes. Discussions highlighted key threats including habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, prey depletion, and disease risks affecting small wild cats and associated ecosystems.

A key outcome of the meeting was the collective commitment to establish an India-Bhutan-Nepal (IBN) regional networking group on small wild cats to facilitate coordinated conservation actions, knowledge exchange, and development of regional situation analyses for species such as the Fishing Cat and Clouded Leopard. The meeting also emphasized the need for collaborative monitoring protocols, identification manuals, community stewardship, and strengthened awareness initiatives across the region.

As part of the program, participants undertook a field visit to the Burkhay Community Forest Group at Pasakha, Bhutan, which showcased a successful model of community-led conservation and livelihood generation. The visit highlighted how local stewardship, habitat restoration, and sustainable livelihood initiatives can contribute significantly towards biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience.