Adequate prey must to conserve snow leopards: Study

• Prey-centric approach is a must to conserve snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh, reveals a study conducted by the researcher of Ashoka University in Sonepat, Haryana.
• The snow leopard population is healthier in regions that have a higher prey base having, among others, ungulates (blue sheep, Himalayan tahr and Himalayan ibex).
• The university conducted this study in collaboration with the state Forest Department in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti.
• Snow leopards are the flagship species for conservation. The first photographic documentation of the snow leopard done in 1975 highlighted this magical beast’s rare and elusive nature. Studying the distribution and population of snow leopards remains a challenge.

About Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia):

• Snow leopards act as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live, due to their position as the top predator in the food web.
• Habitat: Mountainous regions of central and southern Asia. In India, their geographical range encompasses:
  • Western Himalayas: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh.
  • Eastern Himalayas: Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Hemis National Park is the biggest national park in India and also has a good presence of Snow Leopard.

Protection Status:

• The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN-World Conservation Union’s Red List of the Threatened Species.
• In addition, it is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
• It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• It is also listed in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), affording the highest conservation status to the species, both globally and in India.
• It is also protected by several national laws in its range countries.