Snow Leopard Conservation
Introduction to the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)
The huge cat species of the genus Panthera in the family Felidae is known as the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), sometimes referred to as the ounce. The species dwells in the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. IUCN Red List has classified it as Vulnerable because there are thought to be less than 10,000 mature individuals worldwide, and by 2040, that number is predicted to drop by roughly 10%.
The primary threats to it are habitat damage caused by infrastructure development and poaching. It lives in 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft) alpine and subalpine zones that stretch from eastern Afghanistan, the Tibetan Plateau, the Himalayas, southern Siberia, Mongolia, and western China. Furthermore, it inhabits lower elevations in the northern portion of its range.
Snow Leopard Conservation: Physical Characteristics and Adaptations
Its soft coat is pale grayish with dark rosettes and a dark streak running along the spine. It is made up of a thick outer coat of hairs that is around 5 cm (2 inches) long and a dense covering undercoat. The underparts are uniformly pale, with fur that may be 10 cm (4 inches) long on them. With its tail, the snow leopard grows to a maximum length of 2.1 meters (7 feet) (3 feet).
Its shoulder height is around 0.6 meters (2 feet) and its weight ranges from 23 to 41 kg (50 to 90 pounds). It mainly hunts at night and feeds on a variety of creatures, including domestic livestock, marmots, wild sheep, and ibex (Capra). After 93 days of gestation, it gives birth to two to four young.
The snow leopard shows several qualities that help it survive in chilly, mountainous climates. For walking on snow, its large paws evenly distribute the body weight, and its small, rounded ears reduce heat loss. In addition to reducing heat loss, the fur on the undersides of the paws improves grip on uneven and steep terrain. The cat’s long, flexible tail aids in maintaining balance on the rough terrain. Because of its large size and thick coat of hair, the tail of a cat that stores fat allows it to be used as a blanket to shield its face when it sleeps.
Habitat and Geographic Range of the Snow Leopard
From the west of Lake Baikal, the snow leopard ranges across southern Siberia, the Kunlun Mountains, the Altai Mountains, the Sayan and Tannu-Ola Mountains, the Tian Shan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, across the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan, the Karakoram in northern Pakistan, the Pamir Mountains, the Tibetan Plateau, and the high altitudes of the Himalayas in India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
They live in the Khangai Mountains, the Gobi, and Mongolian Altai Mountains, and Mongolia. They are found in Tibet up to the northern Altyn-Tagh. Although they also live at lower levels in the northern portion of their range, they are found in alpine and subalpine zones at heights of 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800 to 14,800 ft).
Fewer than 90,000 km2 (35,000 sq mi) of likely snow leopard habitat is believed to be there in the Indian Himalayas, together with parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Of that area, 34,000 km2 (13,000 sq mi) is viewed as an ideal habitat, and 14.4% is protected. The number of Indian snow leopards, extending among roughly 25 protected areas, was believed to be between 200 and 600 at the start of the 1990s.
718 snow leopards were counted between 2019 and 2023 by the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Programme. Out of these, 477 were located in Ladakh, 124 in Uttarakhand, 51 in Himachal Pradesh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, 21 in Sikkim, and nine in Jammu and Kashmir.
The snow leopard typically inhabits rocky areas and alpine meadows above the tree line in the summer, between 2,700 and 6,000 meters (8,900 and 19,700 feet) above sea level. They drop to heights of about 1,200 to 2,000 meters (3,900 to 6,600 feet) in the winter. Although they can travel in snow up to 85 cm (33 in) deep, they like rocky, fractured ground and will follow tracks already made by other animals.
Snow Leopard Conservation: Reproduction and Lifespan
Given that Snow leopards normally live for 15–18 years in the wild, reaching sexual maturity at the age of two to three. They can survive for up to 25 years in captivity. Males often do not look for a new partner after mating, likely because the short mating season allows too little time. Oestrus lasts five to eight days on average. Snow leopard pairs mate twelve to thirty-six times a day, maintaining their typical feline stance. Among large cats, they are unique in having a distinct birth peak. In late winter, they typically mate, as shown by a visible rise in calling and marking. Cubs are born in April and June after a 90–100 day birth period in females.
Snow Leopard Conservation: Human-Wildlife Conflict and Poaching
The prohibited trade in their skins and body parts, as well as poaching, pose serious risks to the snow leopard species. Kyrgyz officials pulled down 330 traps, detained 110 poachers, and seized three live cubs and sixteen skins between 1999 and 2002. Kyrgyzstan is joined by China and Russia by an illicit trade network that goes through Kazakhstan, with Kashgar in Xinjiang helping as a main hub. Snow leopard meat and bones are put to use in traditional medicine in Tibet and Mongolia, and their skins are worn in clothing.
Given that over 700 skins were traded between 1996 and 2016, with many of them being seized. A total of 21 to 45 snow leopards are killed in India, 20 to 25 in Tajikistan, 34 to 53 in Mongolia, 103 to 236 in China, and 23 to 53 in Pakistan each year. 44 snow leopard goods were advertised online in China, according to a 2016 survey. In a 2014 market survey, nine skins were discovered in Afghanistan. When snow leopards prey on livestock, human-wildlife conflict results. This is made worse by the loss of natural prey as a result of overgrazing, poaching, habitat degradation from livestock, and fuel use, which lowers the snow leopard population.
International and National Protections for Snow Leopards
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species has classified the snow leopard as threatened with extinction since 1985, and it is added in CITES Appendix I. In Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, hunting snow leopards has been prohibited since 1986 and the 1950s, respectively. Under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, they are given the highest protection in India, where hunting offenses carry sentences ranging from three to seven years in jail. Given that they have been legally safeguarded in Nepal since 1973, where poaching carries fines and jail terms ranging from five to fifteen years.
Since 1978, they have been classified as threatened in the Soviet Union and Russia, where hunting is only allowed for security or conservation reasons. Given that they have been protected in China, where hunting and selling have been strictly prohibited since 1989. Snow leopards have been protected in Bhutan since 1995. According to the Russian WWF, cameras in Almaty, Kazakhstan, captured footage of snow leopards 65 times by November 2021.