Saving Snow Leopard

 Over the years Nepal has made a significant progress in wildlife conservation. The active participation of communities, anti-poaching measures and initiatives to restore habitats played a crucial role in the conservation of the snow leopard. The camera trapping of a minimum of 90 snow leopards within the Upper Dolpa region of Shey Phoksundo National Park marks a milestone in Nepal's conservation efforts. There are more than 350 snow leopards in Nepal, which is a significant number compared to its population worldwide. Minimising poaching, proliferating knowledge and research and conservation of their shrinking habitat is essential to make sure that these elusive predators thrive and multiply. 

Snow leopards inhabit some of the most remote and inhospitable regions, including the Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, and the mountains of Central Asia. They play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of mountain ecosystems. Habitat loss due to human activities like infrastructure development and excessive grazing of livestock and hunting pose a huge threat to these majestic animals. Likewise, Climate change too has significantly altered the wild cats' habitat, pushing it towards higher elevations where the resources are scarce. 

Conservation of snow leopard is a must for the balance of fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan region, increase the inflow of tourists and increase the revenue of the country. In 2019, a total of 319 automatic censored cameras were installed in the Upper Dolpa area, known for its high density of snow leopards, to estimate the population of this rare species. The results, revealed in 2024, showed that 90 individuals were captured in the cameras in the specified area. Those cameras were installed within an eight by eight kilometres grid, creating seven grid cells covering a total area of 4800 square kilometres.  

Bishwo Babu Shrestha, conservation officer of the Shey Phoksundo National Park says that there could be even more than 90 individuals in the area if the surveyors were able to install more cameras, but with limited technology, they could cover only a limited area for the population survey. The survey could not cover the entire national park. It depicts the fact that actual number of snow leopard in Upper Dolpo region of Shey Phoksundo National Park might be much higher than those recorded. 

Each year numerous tourists visit Nepal to behold our snow covered mountains and the flora and fauna of the mountain ecosystem.  The elusive snow leopards are one of the main attractions for tourists visiting the Himalayan regions of Nepal. The government and national and international organisations provide regular funds for the conservation of snow leopards and these funds can be utilised for supporting research projects and conservation efforts. The local economy and local community directly or indirectly benefits from these funds. 

Conserving snow leopard’s habitat and mitigating anthropogenic activities harming these species will ultimately benefit other species of the ecosystem coexisting with the snow leopards. The conservation efforts will help in water regulation, growth of vegetation and enhance soil fertility. These elusive high altitude creatures are the part of our folk tales, culture and ultimately are the part of our identity so we all should contribute in the conservation of this endangered species.