RID - 3292 ROTARACT CLUB OF KATHMANDU MID-TOWN

Snow Leopard:

Snow Leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. In Nepal, their habitat area is of about 30000 sq. KM and their population is estimated to be around 300-500. Apart from Nepal, the snow leopard is currently restricted to Asia in Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and possibly also to Myanmar.

In 1972, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as globally “endangered”; the same threat category was applied in the assessment conducted in 2008.

The diet of the snow leopard varies across its range and with the time of year, and depends on prey availability. In the Himalayas, it preys mostly on bharals (Himalayan blue sheep). Smaller prey consists of woolly hares, various rodents, and birds such as the snow cock. 

In Nepal, they are found in the following national parks and conservation areas:

• Sagarmatha National Park (a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site)

• Shey-Phoksundo National Park

• Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve

• Annapurna Conservation Area

Conservation: Major threats to the snow leopard include prey base depletion, illegal trade, conflict with local people and lack of conservation capacity, policy and awareness. In Nepal’s Himalayan region, reduction of natural prey due to competition with livestock, killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock depredation, lack of trans-boundary cooperation, and human population growth or poverty are one of the major reasons for the declining population of snow leopards.

The following measures can be adopted for the conservation of snow leopard in Nepal and its surrounding Himalayan regions:

• Grazing management and livestock husbandry: promote livestock grazing practices that reduce impacts on native wildlife; promote husbandry practices which reduce livestock vulnerability to snow leopard predation and improve efficiency and yield

• Financial incentives for communities to conserve snow leopards; including wildlife-based ecotourism (e.g., snow leopard treks)

• Improve conservation education and awareness among the local communities

• Strengthen national legislation and conservation policies by filling gaps in range state legislation to prohibit the hunting, killing, possession, sale and trade of snow leopards

• Strengthen law enforcement capacity by tightening controls along known trade routes; establish anti-poaching teams to detect and deter illegal killing

• Strengthen international cooperation to enforce trade bans through adherence to CITES resolutions

References:

- http://en.wikipedia.org

- IUCN Red List (http://www.iucnredlist.org)

- http://www.fanpop.com

Rotaract Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town – RID 3292, NEPAL