Few people outside of Pakistan were aware that a cat as beautiful or as elusive as the snow leopard(Panthera uncia) roamed Pakistan's high mountains. In 1970, biologist George Schaller took the first photographs of the endangered cat in the wild.

While studying the wild goats and sheep of the Himalayas, he was fortunate enough to have a close encounter with a female and her four-year-old cub in what is now Chitral Gol National Park. The stunning pictures, published by the National Geographic magaz ine, captured the imagination of readers from around the world.

Snow leopards are sparsely distributed through the mountains of Central Asia, an area totalling more than 2.5 million sq km. They are found from the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Pamirs to the Tien Shan, Altay and Sayan rang es along the border between the People's Republic of China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the Mongolian People's Republic, then into Tibet and the Himalayan parts of Bhutan, Nepal and India.

The snow leopard had become seriously threatened as a result of wanton hunting. This animal mainly depends on the markhor for sustenance which, along with the snow leopard, is on Appendix-1 of the International Endangered Animals List. Continuous illegal poaching of the markhor, coupled with depletion of its habitat, has threatened the existence of the pride of these mountains.

Enforcement in most areas of any kind of protection plan is hampered by difficult terrain, lack of trained or properly-equipped rangers, corruption, and a thriving fur trade that caters to an ever increasing tourist market. Despite government regulations, snow leopard pelt can still be found in the bazaars of Peshawar, Gilgit and elsewhere.

Only two of Pakistan's national parks are known to support the snow leopard. These are the Chitral Gol National Park and the Khunjerab National Park.

Fortunately, the magnificent snow leopard has not passed into oblivion. WWF-Pakistan, in co-operation with the IUCN(World Conservation Union) and the AKRSP (Agha Khan Rural Support Programme), has implemented a management plan for the rural communities of northern Pakistan. These communities have agreed to accept and abide by government conservation laws and regulations in exchange for income from the sustainable use of natural resources such as grasslands for their herds and eco-tourism. Also, under the sponsorship of WWF-Pakistan, the International Snow Leopard Trust planned field training workshops for park rangers.

More recently, resolutions have been made for the preservation of this species by the International Snow Leopard Trust and WWF-Pakistan. A workshop was held in November 1995 in Islamabad by these two organizations to consider possible steps to preserve th is species.

It was suggested that the Government of Pakistan should provide incentives to locals living in the snow leopard habitat for alternative trade, and explore ways and means for rewards regarding information about wildlife offences. Another suggestion was tha t the government should adopt legislation empowering local communities to prevent the trade of the snow leopard.

The snow leopard today stands as a strong ambassador for international co-operation in conservation, since its range spans eight adjoining Asian countries.

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