Today is Snow Leopard Day, Happy Snow Leopard Day!
Snow Leopard's are one of the most beautiful animals on the planet. Today, the 23rd of October 2018, is International Snow Leopard Day. International Snow Leopard Day was made the 23rd of October for a special reason, it was the date that several different countries came together in an effort to save the Snow Leopard.
The countries which came together to save the Snow Leopard on that day were: China, India, Russia, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Khasikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Nepal. All of these countries are home to the Snow Leopard; the Snow Leopard can be found in each of the countries. These countries agreed to a treaty. This treat was created to preserve the Snow Leopard and is called the Bishkek Declaration. Which was signed just a few years ago.
The Bishkek Declaration was signed in 2013, which means that this year marks the five year anniversary of Snow Leopard Day. The countries named above agreed to protect the animal and preserve the animal's habitat. They agreed to protect several key habitats of this animal. They agreed to a minimum of 20 protected and preserved habitats by 2020; these habitats are where the Snow Leopard lives.
Ensuring that the habitats of this animal are preserved, are one of the things that are vital for this species survival. Another thing which is vital for this species surviving is stopping Snow Leopards being killed by poachers.
The Problem Of Poachers and The Snow Leopard
Poaching is one of the greatest threats to their existence. Hundreds of Snow Leopards are poached every year. That doesn't sound like much on the surface. However, according to the WWF, there are as few as 4000 Snow Leopards remaining in the wild. Therefore, because there are only 4000 of them left in the wild, hundreds of these animals being killed every year by poaching matters a great deal. It's something that could see these beautiful animals becoming extinct in the near future.
The Good News About Snow Leopards
There is hope for this animal yet though. Snow Leopards were once endangered. Last year their endangered status was removed and they are now classed as vulnerable. That still means that they are vulnerable to extinction. However, through countries coming together and working to save this animal, it has helped decrease the chances of the Snow Leopards extinction. It shows that through conservation work, working together and even creating dedicated days to an endangered species, such as International Snow Leopard Day, we can bring back animals which are on the brink of extinction.
Happy Snow Leopard Day!