Snow Leopard- Haley Pryde

Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

Fun fact- Snow Leopards have gray or light green eyes which is uncommon for big cats (Threats to Snow Leopards).
http://dinoanimals.com/animals/snow-leopard-mysterious-cat/

Description & Ecology

Lurking in the freezing cold mountains of Central Asia, including the Altai, Tian Shan, Kun Lun, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Karakorum and Himalayan ranges are the elusive and very rare snow leopards (Panthera uncia).  Since these majestic creatures live in some of the harshest habitats known to mankind, they are cloaked in a thick blanket of gray fur, have wide fur-covered paws that double as snowshoes and lengthy tails that help them balance (National Geographic).  These hunters prey on a wide variety of animals such as wild blue sheep and mountain ibex found in Tibet and the Himalayas as well as marmots, game birds and hare (National Geographic). The sneaky  snow leopard, who is only active at dawn and dusk, takes shelter in steep cliffs, rocky outcrops and ravines in order to camouflage and sneak up on their prey and their spry hind limbs help them leap and jump up to six times their body length in order to become the perfect predator (Threats to Snow Leopards). These beautiful creatures have unfortunately been listed as endangered since 1972 due to climate change, retaliatory killings and increased poaching (Threats to Snow Leopards).

Population Changes

There are only 4,080-6,590 snow leopards left on the face of this Earth and along with climate change, retaliatory killings and increased poaching, this can be attributed to the fact that the snow leopard is both low in population density as well as recruitment rate, meaning that few of the snow leopards raise enough offspring that survive and are able to join the breeding population (Panthera uncia). Due to these factors, the snow leopard population trend is currently decreasing (Panthera uncia). 

This map depicts the snow leopard's range of habitat, highlighted in red.
http://snowleopardconservancy.org/how-we-work-2/
Check out iucnredlist.org to see an interactive map of their whereabouts. 

Main Threats to the Snow Leopard

Climate Change (Geographic Changes)

Perhaps the number one contributing factor to the snow leopard's endangered species status is the concept of climate change (Snow Leopard). The impact can be felt so strongly by the species that simply by itself climate change can result in 30% of the snow leopard's habitat loss in the Himalayas alone. This happens when temperatures rise and snow lines recede, forcing the snow leopard to move higher and higher up the mountain range. (Threats to Snow Leopards). As the snow leopard is forced into even higher elevations the surrounding vegetation becomes even scarcer, resulting in less herbivores that they prey on, meaning less food for the snow leopards to prey on (Threats to Snow Leopards). This vicious cycle makes it increasingly difficult for these creatures to find their next meal.

A snow leopard in its natural habitat.
http://climatenewsnetwork.net/rethink-needed-on-farmings-impacts/

Retaliatory Killings 

Being at the top of the food chain means that the snow leopard finds itself in a bit of trouble when going after their prey. It is not uncommon for farmers to retaliate and kill snow leopards for going after their livestock, which includes sheep, horses and goats (Snow Leopard). As mentioned before, the snow leopard generally feeds on mountain sheep and ibex, but when those animals are hunted by local communities the snow leopard struggles to find its next meal and ultimately has to kill livestock in order to survive, which leads to farmers going after the animal (Snow Leopard). 

Supermodel Kate Moss shamelessly flaunts a snow leopard fur coat.
 http://charityowl.com/endangered-snow-leopards-get-some-good-news/

Poaching 

The snow leopard is clearly such a beautiful animal and it definitely does not go unnoticed. Their coat is so stunning that the demand for their pelts is so high in countries such as Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia in order to make fur coats and other clothing items (Threats to Snow Leopards). Their bones and other body parts are also used in traditional Asian medicine (Threats to Snow Leopards). This illegal fur trade contributes greatly to the endangerment of the snow leopard.

What's Being Done?

In order to prevent snow leopards from becoming extinct, several measures are being taken in order to protect them. Along with being listed as a protected species for the International Union for Conservation of Nature they are also on the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora's list that limits trade in wild animals (Snow Leopard- Mysterious Cat). The World Wildlife Fund works extraordinarily hard to protect these creatures from retaliatory killings by teaming up with local communities in the Eastern Himalayas to carefully watch snow leopards in their natural habitat as well as working with goat herders in Mongolia to make locals aware of the danger that the snow leopard is in as well as to secure and preserve important areas of their habitat (Snow Leopard). TRAFFIC, a network monitoring wildlife trade, works hard to stop the illegal trade of numerous snow leopard parts such as fur and bones (Snow Leopard). This network not only helps protect the snow leopards themselves but their prey as well, further preventing these big cats from becoming even more endangered. 

Did you know? Snow leopards, unlike all other big cats, are unable to roar (Threats to Snow Leopards).
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard

Recovery Plan

In order to save the snow leopard, a plan for recovery has been charted out by International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The snow leopard is now legally protected from hunting in most of its 12 range states through national legislation and financial incentives are also being given to areas that do their part in helping conserve the snow leopard (Panthera Uncia). Policies are being strengthened in areas that contain snow leopards which help prevent and prohibit the killing, possession, sale and trade of these animals while major trade markets are now strictly monitored and law enforcement is in return increased (Panthera Uncia). On top of it all, conservation education is being improved so that local communities and even international governments can become aware of the situation and help do their part to prevent it (Panthera Uncia).

What YOU Can Do to Help 

The pressure is on to continue to preserve and save the majestic snow leopard. One way you can do your part and help protect them is by "adopting" a symbolic snow leopard (Threats to Snow Leopards).  Visit the World Wildlife Fund Gift Center  to make your donation to the global efforts to conserve the snow leopard and in return "adopt" one yourself. Any donation helps with research and conservation efforts, so encourage your friends and family to set up bake sales, car washes, or even garage sales in order to raise money, and in return raise awareness, that will help save the snow leopard from further endangerment- or even worse, extinction.

Fun Fact- Snow Leopards are solitary in nature and pair up only during breeding season (Threats to Snow Leopards).

https://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/mammals/carnivores/snowleopard

Other Resources

Link to adopt a snow leopard.
https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Snow-Leopard.aspx?sc=AWY1302WC922&_ga=1.143964021.175696823.1477291669

Here is a great blog to check out if you would like more information about the endangered snow leopard.
http://snowleopardblog.com/

Works Cited:

National Geographic. "Snow Leopards, Snow Leopard Pictures, Snow Leopard Facts - National               Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2016.
"Panthera Uncia." Panthera Uncia (Ounce, Snow Leopard). The IUCN Red List of Threatened                   Species, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016
"Snow Leopard – Mysterious Cat | DinoAnimals.com." DinoAnimals.com. N.p., 12 Apr. 2016. Web.         24 Nov. 2016.
"Snow Leopard." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
"Threats to Snow Leopards." Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.