Snow Leopard

In News: Wildlife officials in Arunachal Pradesh are awaiting analysis of the data of a survey conducted in 2021 to ascertain the presence of the elusive snow leopard.

• The data was collected from a high-altitude Himalayan belt across 11 wildlife divisions from Tawang in the west and Anini to the east and was sent to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

• Namdapha is the known home of three other large cats — tiger, leopard and clouded leopard.

About Snow Leopard:

• Snow leopard, is often referred to as a mountain ghost because of its coat that helps it blend in a snowy-rocky environment.
• The tiger is called Lama in the Lisu dialect and is also called ‘Lamaphu.
• It is a felid in the genus Panthera native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
• It inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at elevations of 3,000–4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), ranging from eastern Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau to southern Siberia, Mongolia and western China.
• In the northern part of its range, it also lives at lower elevations.
• Snow leopards become sexually mature at two to three years, and normally live for 15–18 years in the wild.
• In captivity they can live for up to 25 years.
• The snow leopard has never been spotted nor recorded in the Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district.
• Threats: poaching and illegal trade of skins and body parts as well as habitat destruction.
• Conservation efforts

• IUCN status: Vulnerable
• Listed in CITES Appendix I
• Listed as threatened with extinction in Schedule I of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) of Wild Animals since 1985.
• Listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Flagship conservation species of India – part of 21 critically endangered species for the recovery program under MoEF&CC
• India is a party to the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
• SECURE Himalayas initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
• Project Snow Leopard 2009

About WWF:

• Established in 1961, it is an international non-governmental organization that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
• WWF works to help local communities conserve the natural resources they depend upon; transform markets and policies toward sustainability; and protect and restore species and their habitats.
• WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization.
• Their work is focused around six ambitious goals: Climate, Food, Forests, Freshwater, Oceans, Wildlife.
• Its initiatives include:

• • Debt-for-Nature Swap
  • Earth Hour
  • Healthy Grown
  • Marine Stewardship Council
  • Living Planet Index

• WWF-India was established as a Charitable Trust in 1969 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
• WWF-India is one of India’s leading conservation organizations

MUST READ:  Namdapha National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

Source:  The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?

1. Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass
2. Kashmir Stag, Cheetal, Blue Bull and Great Indian Bustard
3. Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey and Saras (Crane)
4. Lion-tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur and Cheetal