Snow Leopard Conservation

What is the issue?

Conservation status of the snow leopard was downgraded from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’ recently.
Also WWF-India recently discovered photo evidence of the species in Arunachal Pradesh for the first time.
However it does not mean that the big cat is safer than it was earlier.

Why was the Conservation Status Downgraded?

To be considered an “endangered” species, the global populations have to be fewer than 2,500 mature adults.
Additionally, the decline rate must also be over 20% in past decade.
It was found that there are more than 2,500 mature adults in the world and the estimated decline rate is at least 10%.
While the earlier estimates got it worng, currently, snow leapords doesn’t meet the two criteria for being classified as endangered.
Thus, the downgrading of conservation status was not due threat reduction to the species, but due to an earlier assessment error.
Notably, the population of the snow leopard continues to decline, and the threats to its existence continue to multiply.

Where was the Leapord Camera Trapped?

The snow leopard is rarely sighted or photographed.
The animal was found in a camera trap set up at Thembang, one of the Community Conserved Areas in Arunachal Pradesh.

Only a part of the state’s snow leopard habitat falls in the protected ‘Dibang Biosphere Reserve’ and ‘Namdapha National Park’.
Large tracts are under the custodianship of the local communities, whose support is crucial for its protection.

Are Snow Leapords Safe?

Snow leopard’s range extends for 2.8 million square kilometres and is spread acrpss 12 countries.
It covers regions of - Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
Research on the species, including estimates of its range, remains thin — and climate change poses a constant threat to its habitat.
The current estimates based on expert knowledge place the population at between 4,000-6,500 globally, it is largely disputed.
Hence, while the severity of threat is indeed imminent, it is only the technicalities that has pushed it to the Vulnerable catogry.

How does the future look?

Coordinated response from governments is needed for ensuring the survival of the species.

The first Global Snow Leopard Summit was held at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan recently.
This was an extenstion on the “Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme” (GSLEP).
The Indian government also had launched Project Snow Leopard in January 2009 along the lines of Project Tiger.

Also, a Rs75 crore, six-year conservation programme for the Himalayan ecosystem was recently launched.
These measures is hoped to hold the key for the survival of the Himalayan cats in India.

Quick Facts

International Union for Conservation of Nature - (IUCN)

It is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Founded in 1964, it is the world's most comprehensive data trove of the global conservation status of biological species.
It is set upon precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies.
Species are classified by the Red List into nine catogries based on various criteria like - population size, area of geographic distribution, rate of decline etc...
Depending on emphrical evidence, species are either upgraded or downgraded on this priority list for conservation.

Source: Indian Express