Snow leopard population
: 200-600
India's growing population has become a real threat to the
existence of snow leopards in the region. While a growing human
population pushes further into remote areas, their livestock herds
often overgraze wild grasslands, leaving less food for the wild
sheep and goats that are the snow leopard's primary prey. Snow
leopards turn to livestock and herders who have lost livestock to
snow leopards sometimes kill the offending cats in retaliation. The
community-designed Snow Leopard Trust
livestock insurance program helps compensate people in northern
Indian villages for losses of their livestock to snow leopards.
News
In 2009 the government of India invited the Snow Leopard Trust to
draft formal guidelines for Project Snow Leopard, a national plan
to help five states in northern India protect snow leopards and
other wildlife.