Snow Leopard Conservation
Prelims:
Environment
& Ecology
Mains:
GS Paper II:
International Relations – International cooperation in environmental
conservation, GS Paper III: Environment – Conservation, biodiversity and
environmental protection
Current relevance:
India
participated in the Russian-Indian Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study
and Conservation, held on 26 August 2026 at the A.N. Severtsov Institute
of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
Highlights:
1.
The
Roundtable was organised under the Partnership Agreement signed in
December 2025 between the Interregional Association ‘Irbis’ and
the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
2.
Its
objective is to strengthen international cooperation in snow leopard
research and conservation.
3.
India
highlighted the increasing application of scientific methods in its snow
leopard conservation initiatives, particularly:
·
Population
Estimation: Scientific
assessment of snow leopard populations.
·
Radio
Telemetry: Use of
telemetry-based techniques for studying and monitoring the species.
·
Genetic
Analysis: Application
of genetic tools to strengthen scientific understanding and conservation
efforts.
4.
The
Wildlife Institute of India (WII) highlighted India’s advances in snow
leopard population estimation, radio telemetry and genetic analysis,
demonstrating the increasing use of science-based tools for effective
wildlife monitoring and conservation.
5.
The
Roundtable brought together Russian government representatives, scientific
institutions and leading experts, including the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment, A.N. Severtsov Institute, Moscow Zoo and
Rosprirodnadzor, to advance snow leopard research and conservation.
Significance:
1.
Knowledge
Exchange: Facilitated
sharing of scientific knowledge and conservation experiences.
2.
Research
Cooperation: Promoted
collaborative approaches to snow leopard research.
3.
Scientific
Monitoring: Emphasised
science-based techniques for studying and monitoring the species.
4.
International
Cooperation:
Strengthened cooperation between India and international partners for
snow leopard conservation.
About Snow Leopard:
1.
The
Snow Leopard is a high-altitude big cat of the mountain systems of Central
and South Asia.
2.
In
India, its distribution extends across the Trans-Himalayan and Himalayan
regions, particularly Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
3.
It
is the largest Himalayan felid and an apex predator of the
high-altitude ecosystem.
4.
It serves
as a natural indicator of the ecological health of its ecosystem.
5.
IUCN
Red List: Vulnerable.
6.
CITES: Appendix I, providing the
highest level of CITES protection against international commercial trade.
Source: PIB - https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2303641®=48&lang=2