The snow leopard: the elusive ghost, but not yet lost, cat. A review of its conservation status in Siberia and Central Asia

摘要

The snow leopard is one of the rarest big cats in the world. It inhabits high mountains in the Central Asia region. The global population is about 3.5-6.5 thousand individuals, but the number is quickly reducing in many parts of an area. The snow leopard population in the countries of the former USSR is possibly in the most threatened condition, being on the periphery of its main area. In Kazakhstan snow leopard is under the protection of several environmental laws and is conserved in 15 protected areas. In other countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, there are also national strategies or action plans to protect the snow leopard. Siberia, in Russia, is the northern most habitat of the snow leopard, where the efforts for protecting and studying the snow leopard are supported at the highest level. Different organizations in this region conduct research about this species. The snow leopard is, however, threatened by poaching, traditional Chinese medicine, industry, urbanization, etc. This is why snow leopard has long been listed as endangered by the IUCN’s Red List.