International Snow Leopard Day

International Snow Leopard Day

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Biodiversity 

In news

• International Snow Leopard Day is observed on 23rd October. 

Key takeaways 

• Aim: To raise awareness on conservation and protection of snow leopards.
• International Snow Leopard Day came into being on 23rd October, 2013 when Bishkek Declaration was adopted by 12 countries on the conservation of snow leopards.
• The 12 countries included: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Important value additions 

Snow Leopard 

• It is also known as Ghost of the mountains. 
• They are positioned as the top predator in the food web.
• It acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live. 
• Habitat: Higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in  J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• India is home to 5 big cats: Snow Leopard, Lion, Tiger, Common Leopard, and Clouded Leopard.
• Snow Leopard capital of the world: Hemis, Ladakh.
• Threat: Reduction in prey populations, illegal poaching and increased human population infiltration into the species habitat and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products 
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix I
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
• Conservation Efforts by India: (1) HimalSanrakshak: It is a community volunteer programme, to protect snow leopards, launched on 23rd October 2020; (2) In 2019, First National Protocol was also launched on Snow Leopard Population Assessment; (3) SECURE Himalaya: Global Environment Facility (GEF)-UNDP funded project on conservation of high altitude biodiversity; (4) Project Snow Leopard  launched in 2009; (5) Snow Leopard is in the list of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery programme of the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change.

Do you know? 

• Hemis National Park is the biggest national park of India and also has a good presence of Snow Leopard.