• UGI USER
  • Feb 01, 2024
  • 27 Likes
  • 0 Comments

INDIA’S SNOW LEOPARD COUNT: A FOUR-YEAR SURVEY

Why in the News?

  • India has an estimated 718 snow leopards in the wild according to a first-of-its kind, four-year-long estimation exercise, the results of which were made public on Tuesday.
Source: HT

About the Survey:

  • India’s wild snow leopard population is estimated at 718. 
  • Regional Distribution: Ladakh reported the highest number of snow leopards (477), followed by Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (nine).
  • Indian snow leopard count constitutes 10% to 15% of the global population.
About Snow Leopard

·    Scientific Name: Panthera uncia

·    Ecological Role: Snow leopards serve as crucial indicators of mountain ecosystem health as they occupy the apex predator position in the food chain.

·    Conservation Status:

o    IUCN List of Threatened Species: Vulnerable.

o    CITES: Appendix I.

o    Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I.

·    Threat : Faces threats from free-ranging dogs, human-wildlife conflicts, and poaching.

·    Habitat : Found in fragmented distributions across central Asian mountain ranges, including parts of the Himalayas like Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim.

·    Conservation Initiatives:

o    Designated as a flagship species for the high-altitude Himalayas by the Indian government.

o    India joined the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme in 2013.