In News:

• A recent survey by the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department has revealed that the state now hosts 83 adult snow leopards, a notable increase from the 51 recorded in 2021.
• Conducted over one year with strong community participation, the assessment marks Himachal Pradesh as the first state in India to carry out a second state-wide snow leopard survey, providing a robust baseline for future conservation efforts.

About Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia):

• Known as the “ghost of the mountains”, snow leopards are large, elusive wild cats and serve as important indicator species for fragile high-altitude ecosystems.
• State Animal: Himachal Pradesh
• Distribution: Native to high mountains across 12 countries in Central and South Asia, including Afghanistan, China, India, Nepal, and Mongolia. In India, found in Western Himalayas (J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and Eastern Himalayas (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh).
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable (VU)

Key Characteristics:

• Physical Traits: Thick white-grey fur with dark rosettes for camouflage; powerful hind legs for leaping across rugged terrain.
• Diet: Carnivorous—feeds on blue sheep, Himalayan ibex, marmots, pikas, hares, and other high-altitude prey.
• Habitat & Territory: Prefers cold deserts and rocky slopes above 3,000 m, sometimes reaching 5,500 m; requires large territories (5–190 sq miles) due to low prey density.
• Behavior: Solitary and territorial, mostly nocturnal and elusive.

Survey Highlights:

• Conducted across six sites covering Himachal’s 26,000 sq km snow leopard habitat using camera traps.
• Snow leopards recorded in core areas such as Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Pangi Valley, and also beyond protected areas like Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Great Himalayan National Park, Sechu Tuan Nala, and Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Prey and Biodiversity: Updated distribution maps for blue sheep, Himalayan ibex, musk deer, Himalayan wolves, brown bears, red foxes, leopards, and martens. First official sighting of Pallas’s cat in Kinnaur and rediscovery of the woolly flying squirrel in Lahaul.

Why is it in the News?

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in Darjeeling has made headlines for successfully breeding 77 snow leopards since the 1980s, placing it next only to New York’s Bronx Zoo, which has produced 80 snow leopard cubs since it started breeding experiments with the species in the 1960s.

About Snow Leopard:

• The snow leopard, also known as the ounce, is a large Asian cat belonging to the family Felidae, classified as Panthera uncia.
• It preys on various animals, including marmots, wild sheep, ibex, and domestic livestock. As the apex predator in the mountain ecosystem, snow leopards serve as vital indicators of ecosystem health.
• Habitat: Native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, snow leopards are found in India, specifically in the western Himalayas covering Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
• Threats to Survival: With an estimated 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards remaining in the wild, around 500 of them are in India.
  • Human settlement expansion, particularly livestock grazing, has escalated conflicts.
  • Climate change, causing a rise in average temperatures across their habitat, poses an additional threat.
  • Poaching, driven by illegal trades in pelts and body parts used in traditional Chinese medicine, further endangers their lives.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Conservation Efforts: The Government of India initiated Project Snow Leopard in 2009 to safeguard and conserve the snow leopard population and their habitats through participatory policies.
  • Under the UNDP's SECURE Himalaya project in 2020, India's first Snow Leopard Conservation Centre was launched in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, promoting conservation efforts in the region.

About Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP):

• Formerly known as the Himalayan Zoological Park, the PNHZP was established in August 1958 in Darjeeling, West Bengal.
• Dedicated to the preservation of ecological balance in the Eastern Himalayas, the park pursues the following objectives:
• Ex-situ Conservation and Captive Breeding: The park focuses on the ex-situ conservation and captive breeding of endangered Himalayan animal species.
• Awareness and Education: Aiming to educate and motivate both local residents and visitors, the park conducts awareness campaigns highlighting the significance of Himalayan ecosystem conservation.
• Applied Research: The PNHZP initiates applied research in animal biology, behaviour, and healthcare, contributing to a better understanding of these aspects.
• Conservation Pioneering: Recognized as a conservation pioneer, the zoo initiated the first ex-situ conservation breeding program in 1986, commencing with the Snow Leopard conservation breeding project.
  • The Red Panda project followed suit in 1990.
• High-Altitude Zoo: The PNHZP holds the distinction of being the largest high-altitude zoo in the country, making significant strides in the conservation of endangered Eastern Himalayan species in India.