Snow Leopard : Survey
The first scientific survey of the snow leopard in India shows the country is home to 718 of the elusive cats, the government said recently.
- Snow Leopard is a large, long-haired Asian cat, classified as either Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia in the family Felidae.
- Snow leopards live across a vast area in northern and central Asia’s high mountains, including the Himalayan region.
- In the Himalayas, they live in high alpine areas, mostly above the tree line and up to 18,000 feet in elevation.
- They are found in 12 countries, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia, and Mongolia.
- In India, it is seen in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Measuring from nose to tail, the length of an average adult is 1000 to 1300 mm.
- They have thick grey and yellow-tinged fur, with solid spots on their head, neck, and lower limbs and rosettes over the rest of the body.
- They also have very long, thick tails that they use for balancing on rocks and wrapping around their bodies for protection from the cold.
- They are solitary, and the only prolonged social contact occurs while females are raising their cubs.
- Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
