Wildlife Degradation in Pakistan:

Pakistan contains a diverse topography of geographical features and is home to incredibly diverse flora and fauna. Over the last century, lack of understanding and awareness has led to human practices that have exploited the country’s natural resources without replenishing them. A growing population and increasing infrastructure needs have also led to the decimation of animal habitats and forests, and resulted in loss and endangerment of animal and plant species only found in Pakistan.

About Snow Leopards:

Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is a keystone species, typically found at an elevation of 3,000-4,000m. They are the icons and vital components of the biologically rich yet often neglected alpine ecosystems of Central and South Asia. Snow leopards have long, thick fur, and their base colour varies from smoky gray to yellowish tan, with whitish under parts. They have dark grey to black open rosettes on their bodies, with small spots of the same color on their heads and larger spots on their legs and tails. Unusually among cats, their eyes are pale green or grey in colour. 

The Last 200:

Snow leopards are solitary and secretive by nature and, therefore, scarcely seen in the wild. They are also extremely difficult to track or survey. Today, it is estimated that around 3,500 to 7,000 wild snow leopards exist in the mountain regions of Central Asia, and around 600 to 700 snow leopards in zoos around the world. From these, it is estimated that only 200 snow leopards exist in Pakistan’s northern mountains, including the Hindu Kush, Himalayan, Karakoram and Pamir Mountains across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Reasons for Downfall:

Ø  Poachers kill them for their furs, and herders often attack the animals in retaliation for their attacks on their livestock.

Ø  The decreased number of Markhors, their natural prey, habitat loss and fragmentation all add up to making their future survival uncertain.

 Why should we save them?

Ø  All creatures collectively establish ecological order. If one extinct it will somehow affect the whole ecosystem; to some species directly and to some in directly

Ø  We must have them here in Mountains of Asia for the generations coming as they hold flag-ship in these mountains.

What can we all do?

Ø  Find organizations that work to save snow leopards and voluntarily work for them. If possible donate them as these organizations suffer shortage of funds from governments

Ø  Launch small (if possible big)  campaigns in Mountainous areas to educate people not to hunt the endangered specie

Ø  Speak-up for wild life on whatever platform you have in range. It can be facebook, twitter, university etc

What Government and UN should do?

Ø  Implement laws more strictly over hunting of snow leopards

Ø  Launch both in person and media campaigns in affected areas to educate locals

Ø  Financially support NGOs working on the issue

Ø  Establish breeding sites for growth of snow leopards