Snow leopard endangered animals pakistan. The snow leopard is currently listed by iucn as endangered. Barren mountains shrinking natural habitats the snow leopard is a big sized carnivore native to the central asian mountain ranges. According to the international union for the conservation of nature as of 2003 the size of the global population of this beauty was estimated at 40806590 adults of which fewer than 2500 individuals may reproduce in the wild. Snow leopards are often killed by local farmers because they prey on livestock such as sheep goats horses and yak calves.
Snow leopards are spread throughout 12 countries in central asia spanning from the south of russia to the tibetan plateau in total it has been found inhabiting the following countries. Only a few hundred are believed to exist within pakistan and it was listed as critically endangered in pakistan in the 2003 iucn pakistan red list. The animals which snow leopards would typically huntsuch as the argali sheepare also hunted by local communities. Snow leopards no longer endangered but still in decline and in need of urgent conservation measures.
When the prey is scarce snow leopards find their way towards domestic livestock which ultimately bring them into direct conflict with native people. The snow leopard is also the national heritage animal of pakistan and the state animal of the hilly indian state of himachal pradesh. Pakistan represents the worlds third largest population of snow leopard by size. A unique creature in the mountainous areas of pakistan that is also sadly under threat.
The snow leopard habitat. A runner up in the whitley awards 1999 shafqat and project snow leopard psl have developed a project that combines surveys of this little studied species to understand its behaviour and biology with conservation awareness programmes for local communities utilising local media such as theatre and radio. The domestic animals far outnumber natural mainstay prey items including ibex graze wild goat and sheep. 4scarce prey why are snow leopards endangered.