May The Beautiful Snow Leopard Forever Remain Elusive

A snow leopard roaming Kyrgyzstan’s
Sarychat-Ertash Nature Reserve. Photo: Snow Leopard Trust.

The snow leopard is perhaps the most elusive wild cat species on the planet.  Researchers who have gone in search of this beautiful cat have failed to see one for weeks on end.  It takes a beady eye and the perseverance of a cat to spot one high upon a rocky ledge on a cold and barren mountain.

I would wish that the snow leopard remains as elusive as possible for as long as the planet exists.  It is the only certain way to remain safe from ever expanding human population. The snow leopard roams over massive ranges. Their home range is perhaps the largest of all the cats on the planet and can cover up to 1000 km² from male. I suppose is also indicates how barren and remote the area where they live is. This is a good thing; an excellent thing and perhaps the biggest factor why they may survive on this planet dominated by the human.

It seems that the snow leopard has learned to steer clear of the dangerous human.   May he continue to do so.  This elusive big cat lives in no less than 12 countries.

The Snow Leopard Trust are in the process of identifying key snow leopard landscapes.  They're working in partnership with a number of organisations in an international effort to save the endangered snow leopard.  Progress is being made.  I have a great deal of respect for the Snow Leopard Trust because they are very intelligently and respectfully working on behalf of this most beautiful (for me) of all wild cat species.

The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) was adopted in October 2013. This program calls for a minimum of 20 protected snow leopard landscapes to be created by 2020 across the 12 countries where this cat lives.

The current objective is to identify these landscapes and prioritise methods to protect them.

The Snow Leopard trust is also working on enhancing “the capacity of the conservation experts and policymakers".  They want to make things work and get on with it, which I love.

If you, like me, are interested in the welfare of the snow leopard than you might like to visit the Snow Leopard Trust website to read more about this program.