Snow Leopard in India

About Snow Leopard

• It is found in the mountainous regions of central and southern Asia.
• In India, it is seen in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Hemis National Park has a good presence of Snow Leopard.
• They play a key role as a top predator, an indicator of the health of their high-altitude habitat, and, increasingly, an important indicator of the impacts of climate change on mountain environments. 

What is the Conservation status?

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 
• Under CITES it is listed in Appendix I 
• Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: chedule I

 

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Q1) What is Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme?

It is a high-level inter-governmental alliance of all the 12 snow leopard range countries. The snow leopard countries namely, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 

Source: Ghosts of the mountain: 4 snow leopards spotted in rare sighting in Himachal Pradesh