Snow Leopard Survival Strategy - Panthera

2. Threats and Conservation Actions
Regional Assessment
This document attempts to list and discuss the threats,
conservation actions and information needs pertinent to
snow leopard survival. However, these vary substantially
across the vast extent of snow leopard range, so no prescription
will be universally applicable. On the other end
of the spectrum, it is beyond the scope of this document
to define threats and information needs for each unique
geographical unit (county, village, valley, etc.) Any attempt
to define practical geographical divisions that are
addressable within the context of this Survival Strategy
will be somewhat artificial, yet we believe useful generalizations
can be made at a Regional scale. For purposes
of grouping areas where conditions may be similar, we
looked at geography, political boundaries, cultural/
religious influences, and rural livelihoods. Within that
framework we defined four broad regions:
• Himalaya (HIMLY),
• Karakorum/Hindu Kush (KK/HK),
• Commonwealth of Independent States and W. China
(CISWC),
• The Northern Range (NRANG)
Threats to Snow Leopard Survival
A key component of the SLSS process was to identify
threats to long-term snow leopard survival across
their range. The following list is the result of extensive
consultations with stakeholders in Asia and the expert
group at the SLSS Summit. In some cases the individual
threats are closely related. For example, habitat
degradation often stems from over-grazing by domestic
livestock, which may lead to loss of wild ungulates. In
turn, the reduction of wild snow leopard prey can lead
to increased depredation on livestock, and to retribution
killing by herders. However, it is useful to list the threats
separately so that conservation actions most appropriate
to reduce that specific threat are easier to identify.
Threats are grouped into four broad categories 1) Habitat
and Prey related, 2) Direct Killing of Snow Leopards, 3)
Policy and Awareness, and 4) Other Issues.
Master List of Threats
Category 1: Habitat and Prey Related
1.1 Habitat Degradation and Fragmentation
1.2 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Illegal Hunting
1.3 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Legal Hunting
1.4 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Competition with
Livestock
1.5 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Disease
1.6 Fencing that Disrupts Natural Migration
Category 2: Direct Killing or Removal of Snow Leopards
2.1 Killing of Snow Leopards in Retribution for Livestock
depredation
2.2 Poaching Snow Leopards for Trade in Hides or
Bones
2.3 Museum Collection of Live Animals
2.4 Traditional Hunting of Snow Leopards
2.5 Secondary Poisoning and Trapping of Snow Leopards
2.6 Diseases of Snow Leopards
Category 3: Policy and Awareness
3.1 Lack of Appropriate Policy
3.2 Lack of Effective Enforcement
3.3 Lack of Trans-boundary Cooperation
3.4 Lack of Institutional Capacity
3.5 Lack of Awareness among Local People
3.6 Lack of Awareness among Policy Makers
Category 4: Other Issues
4.1 War and Related Military Activities
4.2 Climate Change
4.3 Human Population Growth and Poverty (indirect
threat)
Brief Description of Threats
Category 1: Habitat and Prey Related
1.1 Habitat Degradation and Fragmentation
While snow leopards make marginal use of several
habitat types, the species is most strongly associated with
high alpine tundra, which itself constitutes a very fragile
ecosystem. This narrow habitat use makes snow leopards
particularly vulnerable to habitat changes. Alteration of
habitat over much of snow leopard range does not fit
what may be the common image of habitat degradation
and fragmentation. Large scale resource extraction, road
building, and urbanization occurs within snow leopard
range, yet is relatively rare due to remoteness and inaccessibility.
Perhaps the most commonly observed form
of habitat alteration within snow leopard range is more
subtle, yet still potentially destructive, and comes in the
form of livestock grazing and disturbance by their human
owners.
1.2 Reduction of Natural Prey due to Illegal or Unregulated
Hunting
Mountain ungulates are hunted, either illegally or
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