Poaching is a major threat to snow leopards. Snow leopards are being poached and forced into the illegal wildlife trade for their fur and body parts to be used in traditional Asian medicine (SLC Threats, 2019). Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan have the highest intensity threat towards snow leopards being poached (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). It is believed that between 221 and 450 snow leopards have been poached every year since 2008 (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). Although, that number could be higher (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). Estimates show that 55% of 221 to 450 snow leopards were killed in retaliation for livestock depredation, while another 21% killed for the illegal wildlife trade and 18% were caught in traps and snares (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019).
As snow leopard prey decreases they begin to hunt more on livestock to ensure their survival (GSLEPP Retaliation, 2019). Livestock depredation ranges from less than 1% in parts of Mongolia to over 12% in parts of Nepal (GSLEPP Retaliation, 2019). It is important to remember that for some farmers their livestock is their livelihood so losing one animal can be detrimental. Over 40% of people in the majority of snow leopard territory live below the national poverty levels so losing an animal results in a significant loss of income (GSLEPP Retaliation, 2019). For this reason snow leopards are killed as prevention and/or retaliation (GSLEPP Retaliation, 2019).
Just because a snow leopard is killed in retaliation does not mean they do not enter the illegal wildlife trade. Estimates show that 60% of retaliatory and non-targeted killings are brought into the illegal wildlife trade in an attempt to be sold (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). Illegal hunting of snow leopards also reduces their population in the wild (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019).
Snow leopard skins are the main item from snow leopards that enter the illegal wildlife trade (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). Their bones are used for the same reasons tiger bones are used, for traditional medicine (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019). Snow leopards teeth, claws, and tongues have also been found in the illegal wildlife trade (GSLEPP Poaching, 2019).
The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) has a Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards (PAWS) program that has a plan to have a global snow leopard population assessment within the next five years (GSLEPP PAWS, 2019). Not buying snow leopard parts can help reduce the demand. The main goal of the GSLEP program is to have at least 20 healthy snow leopard populations across their range by 2020 (GSLEPP 20, 2019). In their plan a healthy population has at least 100 breeding age snow leopards, adequate and secure prey populations and connectivity between snow leopard populations (GSLEPP 20, 2019). The map below shows the landscapes the GSLEP is focusing on for their 20 by 2020 goal.
Literature Cited
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. (2019). 20 By 2020.
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. (2019). Combatting poaching & illegal trade. https://globalsnowleopard.org/what-is-gslep/gslep-tasks/combatting- poaching-and-illegal-trade/
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. (2019). PAWS: Population
assessment of the world’s snow leopards. https://globalsnowleopard.org/gslep-projects/paws/
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. (2019). (GSLEP projects paws snow leopard) [Photograph]. https://globalsnowleopard.org/gslep-projects/
Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. (2019). Retaliation or protective killings. https://globalsnowleopard.org/the-snow-leopard/threats/retaliation-killings/
Snow Leopard Conservancy. (2019). Threats. ttps://snowleopardconservancy.org/threats/
WildAide. (2010, August 11). Wildaid psa- Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean: Snow leopards [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOlFxWbiL28
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