Snow leopard now no longer endangered

The Economic Times , Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Correspondent :
The snow leopard is no longer an endangered species, but its population in the wild is still at risk because of poaching and habitat loss, conservationists said this week. The International Union for Conservation of Nature said on Thursday that new data taken through 2016 prompted the reclassification of the snow leopard from the endangered list to the vulnerable category. The difference means, simply, that the animals have gone from "very high risk" to "high risk" of extinction in the wild. The team's lowest estimate was that about 4,000 live in the wild. But the snow leopard can still face a decline of 10% or more over the next three generations in its habitats, which are mostly mountainous areas of Central Asia, including Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. It "still faces a high risk of extinction," the conservation group said, from habitat loss and degradation, declines in prey populations and poaching for illegal wildlife trade, among other reasons. "It is essential to continue and expand conservation efforts to reverse its declining trend and prevent this iconic cat from moving even closer to extinction," the group said. Conservationists warned that the risks are not over for the snow leopards, whose distinctive appearances make them attractive to poachers. Their tails are longer than most cats' to help them balance on steep slopes. Their skins are thick and whitish, patterned with dark rosettes and spots. Their bones and other body parts are used in traditional Asian medicine. Emerging potential threats include mining and other infrastructure development that would affect their habitats, the report said.

The IUCN, in its report on the snow leopard, noted the population numbers could be partly speculative, given the difficulties in collecting hard data on the elusive and secretive species across all regions.

 
SOURCE : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/snow-leopard-now-no-longer-endangered/printarticle/60740602.cms
 


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