One of the most emblematic felids of the mountains of central Asia, the snow leopard, is in serious danger of extinction due to multiple impacts in its natural distribution areas. Although, traditionally, the indigenous Asian peoples with whom the snow leopard lived considered it a sacred animal and protector of the mountains, nowadays there are more and more conservation projects that are needed to guarantee the survival of the species..
If you want to discover why the snow leopard is in danger of extinction, in this complete article on our site you will find all the answers and you will get to know more closely what is commonly known as the "ghost of the mountains or of the snows".
Snow leopard characteristics and where it lives
The snow leopard or irbis (Panthera uncia) has many characteristics in common with the rest of the cats of the taxonomic genus Panthera, although it is distinguished from them by being the only big cat thatcannot roar.
Among the main physiological characteristics of the snow leopard are those related to the complete adaptation of the animal to snow, cold and altitudeThus, their wide and hairy soles of their feet stand out, which help them to move agilely in the snow, using them as natural snowshoes. In addition, their strong and muscular legs allow them to make enormous jumps of up to 14 meters, making use of their long and majestic tails to maintain their balance between the steep rocks of the mountains in which they live.
These mountains are located in Central Asia, where the snow leopard is an endemic species, finding its natural habitat mainly on the plateau Tibetan and the amazing Himalayan mountain range, between 3,000 and 5,000 meters above sea level.
In these mountain ecosystems, the snow leopard finds its natural prey, including large wild animals such as blue sheep, ibex, mouflon and deer, as well as yaks and cattle domestic such as cows, goats and sheep; as well as other smaller animals such as hares, marmots and birds.
How many snow leopards are there in the world?
According to the most recent studies and estimates, there are currently only 7 500 individuals of snow leopards in the wild. This drastic fact has alerted the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which has developed a complex project to protect this species in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, in order to fight against the extinction of this emblematic Asian feline.
Half of these snow leopard individuals are found between Tibet and China, while the rest are distributed between the mountains of Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Based on the results of snow leopard population monitoring studies, various environmental organizations have pointed out how the snow leopard population already has a 20% decline over the past 20 years.
Why is the snow leopard endangered? - Causes
According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), among the main causes that threaten the survival of snow leopards in their natural habitats are:
- The effects of climate change: The reduction of the natural habitat of snow leopards is directly due to the consequences that Climate change causes changes in temperatures. That is why the snow and ice characteristic of the mountains where these cats move are melting, preventing them from reaching their prey and feeding easily on many occasions. As a result, they are forced to survive in conditions of constantly changing temperatures, along with more limited prey availability.
- Poaching: The population control of snow leopards is always monitored by ecologists and organizations for the conservation of the species, which have denounced how, in the last decade, the average of snow leopards that are poached each year amounts to 450 specimensThis data is truly alarming, considering the already low population of this feline in the wild, thus leading to a drastic acceleration in the rate of loss of these predators.
- Tourism and infrastructure projects in areas where they live: Intensifying conflicts between humans and wildlife are seriously interfering with direct way that, in the coming years, snow leopards will be even closer to extinction, according to studies carried out by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Due to the alteration that people cause in the natural environment, leopards are displaced, also altering their hunting regimes and prey availability.
What can we do to save the snow leopard?
Now that we know why the snow leopard is in danger of extinction, what can we do to prevent it? The joint participation, both by communities and local governments as well as tourists, is of vital importance to ensure that the safety and number of individuals of snow leopards goes in increase in the coming years.
In addition, many environmental organizations are now proposing comprehensive snow leopard conservation initiatives and plans, such as Save Our Species, Central Asian Mammal Initiative, Snow Leopard Trust, World Wildlife Fund and Wild Life Without Borders. The intervention of all these entities that create links with local governments and communities, together with the creation of an International Snow Leopard Summit (in which Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and India participate), allows increasing the indispensable commitments to safeguard the existence of this large mammal, thus developing specific plans to help these felines to recover their presence in their natural areas of distribution.
We are now at a critical point where efforts, both national and international, must increase to reach the goal of preventing snow leopards from becoming extinct as soon as possible.
Don't miss this other article in which we share more tips on How to protect endangered animals.
