The snow leopard is the least studied of all the big cats. They are so seldom seen because their home ranges cover over 200km squared. They have a large home range because prey is infrequent and far between. As well as this, snow leopards are facing an even bigger challenge; climate change. They are forced to go higher into the mountains where prey is even less abundant. Also, the summer months are so hot that chasing prey takes up way more energy than it would normally in cooler temperatures which can force snow leopards to go to even more extremes to eat. There are around 6000 snow leopards with approximately 60% of them living in China. One of the main causes of snow leopard decline is conflict with ranches and towns in the mountains in which they live in. They are often killed because they prey upon livestock which is much easier prey than wild blue goat or ibex. Efforts are in place to end this conflict between humans and have resulted in an increase of snow leopard population from being listed as endangered to being listed as vulnerable in 2017. Together, we can protect this iconic species from extinction if we resolve conflict and climate change, that is.
Categories: Wildlife Stories
