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Threats to migration pathways
Primary threats to the species include illegal trade in cubs, pelts
and bones for traditional medicine, loss of natural prey due to
poorly managed hunting and retaliatory killing by humans in
response to predation on livestock (Hussain 2000; Mishra
et al.
2003). These problems are compounded by lack of information
and conservation management as well as non-existent regulatory
enforcement across much of these high mountain landscapes
that require specially trained anti-poaching units to be effective
and appropriate funding for options to reduce conflicts between
farmers and snow leopards. Snow Leopards often move across
international boundaries in these mountains to find prey or mates.
Impassable border fencing poses a threat to the movements of wild
mountain sheep and goats, which also affects the availability of
natural prey for the snow leopard.
Opportunities to protect migration pathways
There is a growing recognition of the need for transboundary data
sharing, coordinated data collection methods, and coordinated
management planning to improve the ability of range states to
adequately manage and protect the snow leopard and its prey
across these transboundary landscapes. Furthermore, the primary
threats – conflict with farmers, poaching and loss of prey due
to poorly managed and illegal hunting – require international
collaboration, efforts to engage communities affected by the
presence of snow leopards as well as conservation areas at a scale
that ensure the survival and movements both the Snow Leopards
and their prey species.
The Snow leopard inhabits the alpine and sub-alpine regions of Asia’s most spectacular mountain ranges.
Occupying nearly 2 million km
2
, the snow leopard’s range extends across 12 range states from Russia and
Mongolia to Nepal and Bhutan. Unfortunately this magnificent predator had to be listed as Endangered by the
World Conservation Union (IUCN). As few as 3,500–7,000 cats may remain in the wild and the population is
thought to be dwindling across most of its range.
Snow leopard
(
Uncia uncia
)
CMS STATUS
CMS INSTRUMENT(S)
Appendix I
None