Cultures and Religions of the Himalayan Region

Lucinda Kanczuzewski
Kettering High School, Detroit, MI
Endangered Species in the Himalayan Region

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Maps

Snow Leopards

Of the endangered species in the Himalayan region, the snow leopard is the most majestic. Weighing between 80 and 170 pounds, it usually lives in the mountain steppes at altitudes ranging from 9,800 to 15,000 feet. It has a thick fur coat that is white in the winter, changing to yellow-grey in the summer, with dark rosettes and large spots. It eats wild sheep and goats, as well as smaller animals. When these prey are not available, it may kill livestock. An average snow lion eats between twenty and thirty adult sheep a year, so the pressure on the habitat can be significant. When a snow leopard kills livestock, herders feel threatened, and may kill these giant cats to protect their flocks. The enormous sums of money that a snow leopard's pelt and bones can fetch are added inducement for a herder to kill a snow leopard endangering the flock.

A new threat looms for snow leopards. As the availability of tiger bone for use in Asian medicine goes down, the value of replacement bones from snow leopards goes up. Snow leopard bones are used to replace tiger bones in Asian medicine markets. This serving to fuel the poaching industry in all of the countries where the snow leopard is found.

In terms of the Himalaya, the snow leopard inhabits the main Himalayan chain along the Tibetan border. It is found in the western half of the Nepal Himalaya. It has been sighted in the Mugu, Dolpa, and Manang districts of Nepal.

Snow leopards typically mate from January to mid-March, and give birth in May and June. Gestation is approximately three months. Litters vary from 1 to 5 cubs, with the average litter size being 2 to 3 cubs. Cubs hunt with their mother at least through their first winter, and disperse when they are between 18 and 22 months old.

The snow leopard is the apex predator, or the top of the food chain, in the regions it inhabits. The conservation issues that threaten the Himalaya, including livestock grazing, competition of wild prey, and livestock depredation, all affect the snow leopard, directly or indirectly. Since snow leopard is a charismatic animal, earning both public suport and funding, it makes a good anchor for the conservation campaign that has been underway for many years. The International Snow Leopard Trust was formed over twenty years ago to encourage conservation of this animal. Conservationists note that since the snow leopard requires so much land for its conservation, preserving habitat for this animal automatically saves the entire range of species that exist in its habitat.

LINKS

Snow Leopard Trust

Snow Leopard Conservancy

Snow Leopard Info

Map of area with many endangered species