Landmark Nepal survey estimates nearly 400 elusive snow leopards

Wildlife officials said on Tuesday that about 400 elusive big cats in the Himalayan nation have been estimated in the first nationwide survey of Nepal’s danger Snow Leopard.
Habitate Los, Climate Change and Paching have greatly affected the population of snow leopards across Asia, listed as “weak” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
But the survey provides a rare shot of hope, which confirms the number at the upper end of the previous estimates.
With thick gray fur with black spots, and large claws that act as natural snow shoes, it is difficult to spot species and quickly to hide, which makes the field challenging research challenging.
This is a historical step in Nepal’s Snow Leopard Conservation Yatra, “Haribhadra Acharya, a senior ecologistist of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Department, told AFP.
“This is the first time we are receiving authentic data with the great efforts of researchers,” he said.
In seven major areas, 397 snow leopards were conveyed through speed-sensor camera and genetic analysis were counted.
It provides the most comprehensive national estimate of ice leopards-also known as “mountains of ghosts”-was estimated to be in the range of 301–400 by IUCN.
Snow leopards are the lowest study of large cats globally due to its low population density and remote hill houses they live.
“Nepal has only two percent of the size of snow leopard houses globally, (yet) we host 10 percent of the total estimated population”, Gurung of Ghana, the representative of WWF Nepal, told AFP.
“Even more important, we are the second smallest country in the case of another. Snow leopard residence After Bhutan, the size, (but) we hold the fourth largest population, “he said.
‘Increase in human activity’
The US-based conservation group, Snow Leopard Trust, says the exact total number is not known, but “3,920 in 12 countries in Asia and perhaps may not exceed 6,390”.
Although conservationists have welcomed the new population estimate, many people are concerned about the dangers arising from climate change and development of infrastructure.
One of the leading researchers, Acharya said, “New road construction, installation of transmission lines, and human activity in search of herbs is disrupting snow leopard houses in the Himalayas.”
Experts say the increasing avalanche in the mountains – where climate change is increasing the extremes of the weather patterns – there is another danger.
Nepal has been praised worldwide for its efforts to protect wildlife, who have helped several species including tigers and rhinoceros to return from the verge of local extinction.
The country’s conservation efforts have helped to triple their tiger population since 2010 to 355 and increased a horn rhinoceros in about 100 to 752 in the 1960s to 752 to 752 in 2021.