Snow leopard
Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 2 "Forest and Wildlife Resources"
Meaning
The snow leopard is a big cat of the high, cold mountains of the Himalaya and the trans-Himalaya (the dry ranges behind the main Himalaya). It has thick grey fur and a long tail, which help it live on cold, rocky slopes. The IUCN Red List rates it Vulnerable. This means its numbers have fallen sharply, and it could become Endangered if the threats go on. India's first count, the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI, 2024), found about 718 snow leopards.
Example
Most of India's snow leopards live in Ladakh. Hemis National Park in Ladakh is one of their strongholds. The Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, and the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Lahaul-Spiti also shelter them.
Don't confuse with
- Red panda: it also lives in the Himalaya, but it is a small tree-dwelling mammal of the eastern Himalaya, not a big cat. IUCN rates it Endangered, not Vulnerable.
Related concepts
- Project Elephant
- One-horned rhinoceros
- Asiatic lion
- Project Cheetah
- Gharial
- Hangul
- Project Hangul
- Red panda
- Great Indian Bustard
- Blackbuck