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- The snow leopard is an endangered species, with its population declining due to habitat loss, poaching, and climate change, with only about 3,000 remaining worldwide.
- To prevent the extinction of snow leopards, efforts are needed to ban poaching, protect their habitats, and respond to climate change. Organizations like WWF are conducting various activities for this purpose.
- The extinction of snow leopards would affect the entire ecosystem, so we need to work hard to protect snow leopards to protect the ecosystem.
WWF
Do you know the 'White Leopard'? This leopard with fur as white as snow is called the 'Snow Leopard'.
The snow leopard is an animal classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It mainly inhabits the high mountains of Mongolia, China, and other countries, but the snow leopard has faced extinction due to the destruction of its habitat by humans through mining and development. In addition, indiscriminate hunting by people who use leopard fur and bones as medicine has also reduced the snow leopard population.
IUCN, Snow Leopard Habitat Map
WWF
The reason why the snow leopard's name includes 'snow' is not only because of its white fur, but also because the snow leopard lives in areas where snow falls. However, as the earth experiences global warming, the area of snowy fields where snow leopards live has decreased, which is also one of the reasons for their endangerment. As the average global temperature rises, the Himalayan region, which receives a lot of snow, experiences a more noticeable increase in temperature than other regions. The snow line, which is the lower limit of perennial snow, is gradually moving upwards, and snow leopards are also moving upwards to find their habitat, following the snow.
WWF, ©MUHAMMAD OSAMA
In 2017, the snow leopard's endangered status was upgraded from endangered (EN) to vulnerable (VU). Of course, even though the endangered status has been adjusted, this does not mean that the snow leopard is not in danger of extinction. There are currently only about 3,000 snow leopards left in the world. Even this number is said to be on a continuous decline.
WWF-Korea YouTube Channel ‘[WWF] Endangered Snow Leopard’ video capture
What can be done to prevent the snow leopard from going extinct? First, illegal poaching of snow leopards should be banned. Awareness among local residents around snow leopard habitats should be improved so that they no longer hunt snow leopards, which are endangered species. In addition, artificial habitat destruction should be prevented, and measures should be taken to respond to climate change so that the snow line does not rise further naturally. If this is difficult, finding new habitats where snow leopards can live is also an option.
WWF, an organization that takes the lead in protecting endangered animals, is making various efforts to prevent the snow leopard from going extinct. They are researching new habitats for snow leopards, educating local residents about snow leopards, and conducting campaigns. They are also attaching bio-tracking devices to snow leopards to study their lives.
The extinction of one creature has a chain effect on the entire ecosystem. This means that preventing the extinction of one creature can have a positive impact on the entire ecosystem. More of our attention is needed to protect the disappearing snow leopard and the collapsing ecosystem.
