Snow Leopard, Ecology and Conservation Issues in India

Snow leopard, an elusive mammal species of the cat family,is the top-predator of the Central and South Asian, highaltitudeecosystem. Snow leopards occur at low densities acrossthe Central Asian mountains and the Indian Himalayan region.Owing to their secretive nature and inaccessible habitat,little is known about its ecology and distribution. Due toits endangered status and high aesthetic value, the snow leopardis considered as an ‘umbrella species’ for wildlife conservationin the Indian Himalayas. This article summarizes thecurrent knowledge on snow leopard ecology and conservationissues in the Indian context.