(English) Nepal-China joint initiation to conserve snow leopard

KATHMANDU, Nepal– At a time experts are alarming that snow leopard are under threat from climate change in the Himalayas, causing their habitat loss, the government of Nepal and China have decided to  carry out a joint initiative to conserve this endangered animal. 

The high level third meeting of a joint taskforce of forest of Nepali and Chinese authorities, held in Kathmandu on Thursday, decided to launch a trans-boundary program to conserve the big cats.

On the occasion, Nepali authorities discussed with their Chinese counterparts on ways of jointly curbing wildlife poaching and developing trans-boundary community forests, according to the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC).

Also known as the god´s pets especially in the western world, snow leopards are one of the most elusive cat species and live in the high mountains. Experts believe Nepal is home to around 400 snow leopards, sometimes referred to as a “mountain ghost”.

The Nepal-China taskforce was formed for conservation of forest and biodiversity in 2010.

In the meantime, scientists from environmental group WWF have predicted snow leopards could lose 40 percent of their hunting grounds by the end of the century due to changing weather patterns.

“Loss of alpine habitat not only means less room for snow leopards, but also has the potential to bring them closer to human activities like livestock grazing,” Rinjan Shrestha, WWF snow leopard expert was quoted by AFP.

Last December, wild experts in Nepal were succeeded in radio collaring of the snow leopard, an initiation that helps understands its habitant.