NEW DELHI: Twelve countries on Wednesday came together for conservation of snow leopard and striving to double its numbers as the species is threatened by prey depletion, poaching and shrinking habitat.
Experts from snow leopard range countries are in the national capital to attend the 4th steering committee meeting of the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Program.
As part of the meeting, India launched the first national protocol for population assessment of snow leopard. Of the nearly 7,500 snow leopards found in these countries, rough estimates suggest India is home to around 400-700 cats that are limited to five states - Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
At the GSLEP meeting, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said countries will strive to double the snow leopards population in the world in the coming decade. “This two-day conference is important because discussions, deliberations, cooperation and learning from each other and sharing the best practices will benefit us all. Therefore, we can conserve nature in a better way and we can do positive work collectively,” he said.
During the two-day meeting, snow leopard range countries will be sharing their experiences to intensify collaborative efforts towards conserving the animal and its ecosystem. The delegates will also be discussing sustainable development efforts to be made in the snow leopard habitats and take into consideration green economic development, innovative conservation financing and population assessment. The Steering Committee will also assess efforts in combating poaching and illegal wildlife trade of snow leopards.