Snow leopard or ‘ghost’ cat

15 Oct 2022 Snow leopard or ‘ghost’ cat

Source: The Hindu; The Indian Express

News: Arunachal Pradesh government is expecting the outcome of a snow leopard survey conducted in 2021 by its wildlife division  in November.

Snow Leopard:

• Native Place: Alpine regions of Central Asia and mostly found in harsh cold climates.
• Snow Leopards survive harsh climates because of their thick fur.But, during  winter months, they mostly descend to lower elevations.
• Prey of Snow leopards: Blue sheep, Mountain ibex and  smaller prey such as hares, game birds and marmots. It has the capability to kill prey that is up to three times its own weight.
• Habitat of Snow Leopards in India: Higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape at an altitude between 3,000-5,400 metres. 
• Areas of Snow Leopards in India: Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Approximately,5%  of the global snow leopard range is covered by these areas.
• Snow-leopard range countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Russia and Uzbekistan.
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status of Snow Leopard: Vulnerable.
• Main sources of threat for snow leopards: Climate change, Unregulated tourism, Retribution killing, Poaching, Illegal trade, infrastructure development in the mountains, and Excessive livestock grazing.
• The Government of India launched the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) to estimate the population of snow leopards in the Indian range on International Leopard Day(3rd May). 
• Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) launched PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards) for “robust estimate” of the snow leopard population.

Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve:

• This National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district.
• Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve covers an area of approx 1, 985 sq.km with lush green vegetables and virgin forests.
• Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve touches the international border between India and Myanmar (Burma).
• The turbulent Noa-Dihing river flows through the sprawling tropical rain forest of Namdapha National Park.
• It is located at the junction of the Indian Sub-Continent Biogeography region and the Indo-China Biogeography Region, 
• Assam Forest Regulation Act of 1891 defined Namdapha  as a reserved forest.
• In 1972, it was declared as a wildlife sanctuary and finally in 1983 Namdapha was upgraded to a national park and also declared as a tiger reserve. 
• Namdapha is home to over 1285 faunal species, out of which 96 are mammal species, 453 are bird species, 50 are reptiles, 25 are amphibians and 76 are  fish species among others.
• Namdapha is home to three large cats i.e.  tiger, leopard and clouded leopard. 
• There is widespread belief that the national park is also the habitat of the snow leopard.

Articles:

1.A quest for the ‘ghost’ cat: Behind Arunachal’s snow leopard survey.

2.Namdapha National Park: 3 Royal Bengal tigers spotted by camera trapping

3.Explained: Why India and world are counting snow leopards, and how

Article Links:

1.https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-quest-for-the-ghost-cat-behind-arunachals-snow-leopard-survey/article66005389.ece 

2.https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/namdapha-national-park-3-royal-bengal-tigers-spotted-by-camera-trapping/ 

3.https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-india-and-world-are-counting-snow-leopards-and-how-6088190/

Yojna IAS Daily current Affairs eng med 15th Oct 

sharad