In remote J&K national park, camera traps snap elusive snow leopard, read out a success story

In remote J&K national park, camera traps snap elusive snow leopard, read out a success story

Subject :Environment

Section: Species in news

Context: The Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department’s confirmation on the presence of at least half-a-dozen snow leopards at high-altitude Kishtwar National Park

Concept:

• The Snow Leopard (also known as Ghost of the mountains) acts as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live, due to their position as the top predator in the food web.
• The Snow Leopard lives at high altitudes in the steep mountains of Central and Southern Asia, and in an extremely cold climate.
• They inhabit the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in the states/union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• India is a unique country to have a good presence of 5 big cats, including Snow Leopard. The other 4 are, Lion, Tiger, Common Leopard, and Clouded Leopard.
• The snow leopard’s habitat range extends across the mountainous regions of 12 countries across Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
• Out of the total range covers an area, 60% of the habitat found in China.

Threat: Factors that have contributed to the decline in the snow leopard populations include, reduction in prey populations, illegal poaching and increased human population infiltration into the species habitat and illegal trade of wildlife parts and products among others.

Protection:

• IUCN Red List- Vulnerable
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)- Appendix I
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)- Appendix I
• Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction.
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972- Schedule I
• Schedule I provides absolute protection and offences under this have the highest penalties.

Kishtwar National Park

• It is located in Jammu and Kashmir
• It is bounded to the north by Rinnay river, south by Kibar Nala catchment, east by main divide of Great Himalaya and west by Marwah river
• It was declared a national park on February 4, 1981.
• It has an altitude range of 1700 to 4800 Metres.
• The National Park encompasses the catchment area of Kiber, Nanth and Kiyar Nallas, all of which drain south-west into Marwah river locally called Mariv Sudir which joins Chenab
• The national park in Kishtwar attracts wildlife lovers with its rich flora & fauna which comprises musk deer and Himalayan brown bear.