Many benefits of snow leopard conservation
Snow leopard landscapes are under increasing pressure due to the climate crisis, unsustainable land use practices, and other anthropogenic threats
Known as the ghost of the mountains, snow leopards symbolise the untamed beauty of India’s rugged mountainous habitats. Sadly, despite their ecological importance and magnificence, their numbers are declining fast. To arrest this trend, International Snow Leopard Day is marked on October 23 to promote conservation efforts for the species.
Snow leopards inhabit some of the remotest and inhospitable areas on the earth, spanning about 1.8 million sq km landscape across 12 countries, including India. Despite their vast range, snow leopards are considered vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimated wild population of between 4,000 and 6,500. With a population of 718 individuals distributed over about 75,000 square kilometres in the states and Union territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, India ranks third in snow leopard numbers among the range countries.
The snow leopard, like all big cats, is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which makes the trade of body parts illegal in signatory countries. In India, the snow leopard is listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, providing it the highest protection status.
Snow leopard-occupied areas also support diverse ecosystems and are vital for the livelihoods of indigenous communities through multiple ecosystem services. Snow leopard habitats are often headwaters for major rivers, and their conservation supports the preservation of these freshwater sources, ensuring clean water flow downstream for drinking, irrigation, and agriculture. Additionally, by protecting the landscapes where snow leopards thrive, conservation efforts safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services like carbon sequestration, which is vital in the age of the climate crisis.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has ensured wildlife policies make conservation a participatory process. So, snow leopard protection programmes in India strengthen the integrity of entire mountain ecosystems, benefiting both wildlife and indigenous communities.
These habitats are also repositories for rich biodiversity, supporting many rare, endangered, and threatened (RET) species. Snow leopards, being an umbrella species, protect a wide range of other flora and fauna that share their habitat.
However, snow leopard landscapes are under increasing pressure due to the climate crisis, unsustainable land use practices, and other anthropogenic threats. These pressures are leading to habitat degradation, loss of biodiversity, and increased human-wildlife conflict.
Facilitating collaborative conservation, the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) is a beacon of hope for the animal. The GSLEP brings together the 12 snow leopard range countries to safeguard the future of this species. The GSLEP’s 2020 resolution set to motion a comprehensive strategy, focusing on resource mobilisation, inclusive economic development, animal-human health care, and disease surveillance as priority areas. India has been actively involved in the animal’s conservation, recognising it as the high-altitude Himalayas’ flagship species.
Project Snow Leopard (PSL) is one of the key conservation initiatives, highlighting participatory conservation projects focused on traditional knowledge sharing and landscape management, with active involvement of the local communities.
As part of the National Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection (NSLEP) priorities, the government is committed to habitat restoration, livelihood improvement, mitigation of wildlife crime and illegal trade in wildlife, human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, and improving awareness and communications strategies.
The Centre pioneered the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI), which covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard range in the country. We have also emphasised landscape restoration for habitat conservation and participatory landscape-based management plans. To increase Jan Bhagidari in wildlife protection, Himal Sanrakshaks have been engaged by local communities, tourists, and the Indian Army, for snow leopard protection.
The government has also implemented the SECURE Himalaya Project as a multi-focal project under the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project promoted sustainable management of alpine pastures and forests in the high-range Himalayan ecosystems to secure the conservation of globally significant wildlife and to ensure sustainable livelihoods and socio-economic benefits for local communities. This helped build capacity among more than 2,000 frontline forest staff and community members on wildlife and habitat monitoring.
India has also undertaken several ex-situ conservation initiatives to protect and conserve the snow leopard, complementing its in-situ efforts in the wild. One of the key ex-situ efforts is the establishment of the conservation breeding facilities for snow leopards at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling, West Bengal. The zoo has successfully bred multiple snow leopards, contributing to the animal’s global genetic pool.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) launched by PM Modi brings together a range of countries of not just snow leopards but all big cats. The alliance will safeguard the species through knowledge exchange, support for recovery efforts in natural habitats, and promoting the best practices among range countries.
India is trying to not only protect a flagship species but also create sustainable economic opportunities for communities in some of the remotest areas of the country.
The snow leopard is an indicator of the health of the high-altitude habitat and an important symbol of the impacts of the climate crisis on mountain environments. If snow leopards thrive, so will countless other species, along with the largest freshwater reservoirs on the planet.
Bhupender Yadav is Union minister of environment, forests, and climate change.The views expressed are personal
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