Snow Leopard

🔹 About

1. Scientific Name: Panthera uncia

2. Acts as an Health indicator of the mountain ecosystem

🔹 Habitat

1. Mountainous regions of central and southern Asia

2. India: Western Himalayas: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh + Eastern Himalayas: Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh

3. Hemis National Park is the biggest national park in India and also has a good presence of Snow Leopard

🔹 Protection Status

1. IUCN: Vulnerable

2. CITES: Appendex I

3. WPA 1972: Schedule 1

🔹 Conservational Efforts

1. GoI has identified it as flagship species

2. India is party to Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme

3. In 2019, First National Protocol was also launched on Snow Leopard Population Assessment

4. SECURE Himalaya

5. Project Snow Leopard, etc