First snow leopard survey

Environment and Ecology Wildlife

25-Oct-19

Context- Recently Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Shri Prakash Javadekar launched the First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India, on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day.

It has been developed by scientific experts in association with the Snow Leopard States/UTs namely, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunanchal Pradesh.
The use of technology such as camera traps and scientific surveys will help to estimate the numbers.
No date has been decided for the estimation process to begin yet.
Only 2 per cent of the total habitat of snow leopards have been sampled for population estimation due to difficult terrain and an elusive nature of snow leopards, according to SLPAI document.

Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Program

The GSLEP is a range-wide effort that unites range country governments, nongovernmental and inter-governmental organizations, local communities, and the private sector around a shared vision to conserve snow leopards and their valuable high-mountain ecosystems.
The snow leopard range countries agree, with support from interested organizations, to work together to identify and secure at least 20 snow leopard landscapes across the cat’s range by 2020 or, in shorthand – “Secure 20 by 2020.”
The Snow Leopard is found in 12 countries. They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The range countries formed the Global Snow Leopard Forum (GSLF) and signed the Bishkek Declaration to acknowledge its importance as the indicator of the health and sustainability of mountain ecosystems.
4th steering committee meeting of the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Program, today at New Delhi, Shri Javadekar dwelt upon range countries working collectively to conserve nature and enumerate the number of snow leopards. “We will strive to double the Snow leopards population in the world in the coming decade.
The two day international meeting of GSLEP Program is being organized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at New Delhi on 23-24 October 2019.

Climate change and wildlife at GSLEP meeting

Countries need to win battle against climate change by preserving and improving nature and by multiplying the epitome of ecology that includes Leopards, Tigers, Lions, Elephants, Rhinos and all animal kingdom.
Countries need to stress upon capacity building, livelihood, green economy, and green pathway even in the Snow Leopard areas of the Himalayan range and cross country cooperation. This forms the basis for all Snow Leopard range countries.”
There is a need for awareness and understanding value of Snow Leopard for the ecosystem
Sustainable development efforts to be made in the Snow Leopard habitats and take into consideration green economic development, innovative conservation financing and population assessment of global Snow Leopards.

About Snow leopard

Habitat and distribution

Snow leopards live in the mountainous regions of central and southern Asia.
In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the western Himalayas including the states of Ladakh ,Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas. The last three states form part of the Eastern Himalayas – a priority global region of WWF and the Living Himalayas Network Initiative.
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 elevations of 3,000-5,000 metres or higher in the Himalayas.
It is the State animal of Himachal Pradesh.

Status

The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable 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 countries.
It is also listed in appendix I of convention on migratory species

Conservation effort

SECURE Himalaya

The Government of India and United Nations Development Programme, with support from the Global Environment Facility, are implementing a new programme in the high altitude Himalayas entitled “SECURE Himalayas - Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems”, to ensure conservation of locally and globally significant biodiversity, land and forest resources in the high Himalayan ecosystem, while enhancing the lives and livelihoods of local communities.

Project snow leopard

On 20 January 2009, the Government of India announced a new and ambitious conservation programme called Project Snow Leopard. This exciting development represents a major up-scaling of our research and community-based conservation efforts in the higher Himalaya

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