Snow Leopard
Estimated Population: 100 to 200 individuals
Distribution
The strikingly beautiful snow leopard remains one of the most mysterious cats in the world. This roving, high altitude cat is rarely sighted by local people. Because it is so elusive, accurate population numbers are hard to come by, although estimates range from 100 to 200 individuals. Snow leopards live in the mountain regions of central Asia. In India their geographical cover encompasses a large part of the Western Himalaya including the states of Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttarakhand with a sizable population in Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh in Eastern Himalaya in addition to Nepal, Bhutan and parts of China.
Habitat
Snow Leopards prefer steep, rugged terrains with rocky outcrops and ravines. This type of habitat provides good cover and clear view to help them sneak up on their prey. They are found at high elevations of 3000-4500 meters (9800 ft to 14800 ft.), and even higher in the Himalayas. The snowy peaks act as a camouflage for the animal.
Characteristics
Snow Leopards are considered medium-sized cats, standing about 24 inches at the shoulder and weighing around 30-55kg. Their exquisite smoky-gray fur patterned with dark-gray to black rosettes, camouflage them against rocky slopes. Snow Leopards are shy and elusive and inhabit a definite home range. The species usually mate between January and March, a time when both sexes mark intensively, leaving signs such as scrapes,
feces, urine and scent-spray in prominent locations along their travel routes. The animal is most active at dawn and dusk. Like most species of cats, Snow Leopards are solitary animals, though sometimes male and female pairs might be seen together during mating season.
Conservation Challenges:
Poaching
What comes as a major challenge for the protection of this species, is poaching. Snow Leopards are poached illegally for their pelts, which have a huge market in Tibet. Their bones and other body parts are also in huge demand for use in traditional Asian medicines .
Retribution Killings
Due to continuous interference and intrusions by humans and domestic cattle, snow leopards at times stray from their habitat to enter the human territory to prey on domestic livestock. Herders in these areas live a precarious economic life and loss of even a single sheep, causes a real economic hardship. This has caused several cases of retaliatory killing of Snow Leopards in the past .
Habitat and Prey loss
As humans continue to push further into the mountainous areas with their livestock, the Snow Leopards' habitat is getting boxed-in by increasing human intrusion. As humans push further into the mountainous areas with their livestock, the snow leopard's habitat is getting degraded and fragmented. Overgrazing has damaged the fragile grasslands, leaving less food for the wild sheep and goats that are the Snow Leopard's main prey.
Other challenges
Much of the Snow Leopards’ habitat is extremely difficult to access. Found at very high altitude, studying the species and its current status and distribution is an extremely arduous task.
WWF's involvement
WWF has been working in collaboration with the forest department to map habitat and distribution pattern of the Snow Leopard and its' prey. The habitat and seasonal pattern of ungulates in the Tsholhamo Plateau in Sikkim and Lasher valley is being monitored to identify important corridors and formulate strategies for the conservation of the Snow Leopards.
Status: The Snow Leopard is listed as endangered on the IUCN-World Conservation Union's Red List of the Threatened Species. In addition, the Snow Leopard, like all big cats, is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which makes trading of animal body parts (i.e., fur, bones and meat) illegal in signatory countries. It is also protected by several national laws in its range country.
