Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard

The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to Central Asia mountains. The snow leopard is an endangered species due to poaching because of the parts being used in Chinese traditional medicine. Learn more about the snow leopard here. Their numbers have been dwindling for long. In India, it is found in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The Bishkek declaration provides much needed conservation status to this species which is already listed in IUCN and CITES. Representatives of all 12 snow leopard range countries have adopted the Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard.

October 23 has been earmarked as the International Snow Leopard Day.

Salient Features of the Declaration:

• Calls upon to formulate a long-term Global Snow Leopard Conservation Program.
• Formation of a high-level Steering Committee to guide Program implementation, regularly review its progress, and maintain a strong political commitment to its objectives, and to establish a Program Secretariat.
• A working Secretariat will be established in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, to facilitate Program development after the Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum.
• Global Environment Facility, Global Tiger Initiative, Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Snow Leopard Conservancy, Snow Leopard Trust, United Nations Development Programme, United States Agency for International Development, World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, and other interested partners to support the Working Interim Secretariat and subsequently the Program Secretariat.
• Evaluation and mapping of the current status of key snow leopard populations and habitats to set baselines and indicators against which to assess future change, conduct economic valuation of snow leopard habitats, and intensify scientific research and monitoring to support future policy and action and to intensify conservation efforts in the large landscapes required for snow leopard survival by identifying and designating critical habitats of key snow leopard populations as no-go areas for destructive land uses.

Reference and further reading (Copy and paste in your browser);

http://www.snowleopard.org/the-bishkek-declaration-on-the-conservation-of-the-snow-leopard

http://animals.nationalgeographic.co.in/animals/mammals/snow-leopard/

http://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/priority_species/snow_leopard/

http://www.snowleopard.org/learn/cat-facts

http://greencleanguide.com/2013/08/10/wildlife-protection-amendment-bill-2013-highlights/

http://greencleanguide.com/2012/02/16/cheetah-do-you-know-me/

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