Plight of Endangered SNOW LEOPARD

By Ejaz Ur-Rehman
ejaz@pressforpeace.org.uk
(A pair of Snow Leopards)
“It was the shortest seven minutes of my life” Aishwarya Maheshwari, a researcher with WWF India (a wildlife protection group) said after making the first confirmed
sighting of a snow leopard (Panthera unica) in Kashmir in over 10 years. The region has seen a decade of political conflict and fighting between India and Pakistan
(Saving Snow leapord,2009)

Habitat

The snow leopard Uncia uncia (P.uncia) is an endangered species of cat that lives in the mountains of Central Asia(Snow leopard trust,2009).The Snow Leopard is the
primary predator in high altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir.(Kashmir hub ,2009) and Muzaffarabad district in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit and Baltistan districts in the
Northern Areas (http://www.animalinfo.org). Seen along the snow line, the Snow Leopard is not easily noticed because of its effective camouflage. The Snow
Leopard's fur is a thick silvery gray which helps it conceal itself along the snowline and the rocks of the mountains, which are its natural habitat .(Kashmir hub ,2009).
Snow leopards typically inhabit rugged terrain such as steep slopes with bluffs, ridges broken by outcrops, and valleys inter rupted by cli ffs, with arid and semi -arid
shrubland, grassland, or steppe vegetation. It is generally found at elevations between 3000 - 4500 m (9800 - 14,800'), although it occasionally goes above 5500 m
(18,000') in the Himalaya in the summer, and at the northern limits of its range it can be found between 600 - 1500 m (2000 - 4900') (http://www.animalinfo.org).

The black rosettes and spots help the Snow Leopard blend into areas of sunlight and shadow and hide more effectively while stalking its prey.(Kashmir hub ,2009).

Population
Researchers estimate that there are between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards left in the wild. The wide range of this estimate is due to the difficulty in gathering
data because of the mountainous terrain in which the Snow Leopard lives(Kashmir hub ,2009).

Threats to Snow Leopards

"Yet the snow leopard faces pressures that are bringing this species closer to extinction and populations of the cat are in
decline in many parts of its range."(WWF-Pak, 2006).

Reduction of natural prey due to competition with livestock

As a growing human population pushes further into remote areas, their livestock herds often overgraze wild grasslands, leav ing less food for the wild sheep and goats
that are the snow leopard's primary prey. As wild sheep and goat populations decl ine, snow leopards go hungry
(Domestic animals grazing, Photo source wwwdelivery.superstock.com)
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock depredation

When their wild prey is scarce, snow leopards sometimes turn to domestic livestock for food. Herders, who lead a precarious economic existence with most of their
family wealth bound up in their herds, may kill snow leopards in retaliation(Snow leopard trust,2009, (http://www.animalinfo.org).

War and related military activities

Some of best snow leopard habitat lies within the disputed area Jammu and Kashmir. Militarization of this region over the past several decades put snow leopards in
danger and make scientific studies and conservation programs impossible to carry out (Snow leopard trust,2009, http://www.animalinfo.org).
Poaching
Snow leopards are hunted illegally for their pelts, which are sought after especially in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia for coats and other garments.

(Snow leopard skin Hand bag, Photo source :http://www.fluffygear.com)

Snow leopard bones and other body parts are also in demand for use in traditional Asian medicine.

Sometimes captured from the wild for private animal collections in Central Asia.

Many of the poachers are local people from snow leopard areas, who often live on just a few dollars a day. For them, poaching may be a lucrative source of
Lack of awareness, policy, and implementation

Effective conservation programs depend on the support of local people in snow leopard areas, but many herders are struggling to provide for their families and have
little extra time and energy to devote to protecting other species.

Similarly, many snow leopard range country governments are focused on economic development and providing basic services to their ci tizens, and it is difficult for
them to make environmental protection a policy priority.

Political instability, the lack of money t o enforce laws and protected area boundaries, and the difficulty of catching poachers in the snow leopard's remote and rugged
habitat all make effective protection for the cat more difficult to secure (Snow leopard trust,2009).

Lack of effective protection

Most protected areas are too small to protect the home range of even a single snow leopard, and many countries cannot afford to pay rangers living wages (Snow
leopard trust,2009).

There are many ways you can help save these a mazing cats. One of the best ways is just by raising awareness about the plight of the snow
leopards.

Conservation efforts
There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems. These include the Snow Leopard Trust , the Snow
Leopard Conservancy and the Snow Leopard Network. These groups and numerous national governments from the snow leopard's rang e, non-profits and donors from
around the world recently worked together at the 10th International Snow Leopard Conference in Beijing. Their focus on resear ch, community programs in snow
leopard regions and education programs are aimed at understanding the cat's needs as we ll as the needs of the villagers and herder communities impacting snow
leopards' lives and habitat.
For further information visit:

www.snowleopard.org

References:

· Kashmir hub.(2009).Snow leopard in Kashmir, http://www.kashmirhub.com/wildlife-of-kashmir/snow-leopard.html

· Snow leopard Trust (2009).Snow Leopard Conservation in India, Snow leopard trust, India, http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/india.
· Saving Snow leapord.(2009). First snow leopard sighting in Kashmir in 10 years, Saving Snow leapord, Conservation Project in the Zoo and in the Wild ,
http://snowleopardblog.com.
· WWW-Pak.(2006).WWF radio collars elusive snow leopard in Pakistan,www.panda.org

(Writer is an Ecologist and Director Press for Peace UK)