Vanishing Treasures programme
Improving the adaptive capacity of mountain ecosystems.
Living with snow leopards in a changing climate
With a global range spanning over 1,7 million km 2
and twelve countries in Asia, snow leopard numbers are very difficult
to assess. Estimates from several sources, including the Global Snow
Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), set the population
between 3 500 to 7 500 individuals in the wild. Threats such as
poaching, habitat loss and the impact of climate change make conserving
the “ghost of the mountain” a challenge.
UNEP’s Vanishing Treasures programme focuses on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, two Central Asian countries famous for hosting snow leopards in their mountain ranges. With an estimated 550-680 individuals, they are key countries for the conservation of the species.
Snow leopard photo: ANCOT
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