India has 718 snow leopards; most of them live in unprotected areas: Centre
30 Jan 24
There are 718 snow leopards in
India. However, only a third of their habitat is under legal
protection, showed a report released by the Government of India and
non-profit organisations on January 30, 2024.
Only 34 per cent of the 120,000 square kilometre (sq km) snow leopard
habitat in India legally protected. Almost 70 per cent of it, crucial
for the predator, remains unprotected, Status Report of Snow Leopards
in India noted.
The report emphasised the need for a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at the
Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Its
objective should be long-term population monitoring, organised studies
and consistent field surveys.
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