Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: Darjeeling Zoo, home to the world’s largest number of snow leopards in captivity, boasts 14, including six cubs, marking a success story for India’s lone Conservation Breeding Programme.
What is the Conservation Breeding Programme?
The Conservation Breeding Programme is the science of conserving a species by preventing imminent population collapse in the wild due to a large number of eliminative pressures (i.e. habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, industrialization, poaching, illegal trade climate change etc.)
The snow leopard conservation breeding program at Darjeeling Zoo, established in 1985, is the first and only of its kind in India. A key feature of the program is the careful use of a diverse genetic pool for breeding snow leopards.
About Snow Leopard:
More on Snow Leopard:
Recently, Kyrgyzstan has officially chosen the Snow Leopard as its national symbol
| Topic | Details |
| Range Countries | Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| Global Snow Leopard Population | Estimated between 4k and 6.5k worldwide; China has the highest population; India has around 700-800 individuals |
| Hemis National Park, Ladakh: Snow Leopard Capital of the world; State Animal of Ladakh & Himachal Pradesh | |
| Conservation Efforts Worldwide | Snow Leopard Trust: Focus on community-based conservation programs |
| Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP): Aims to secure 20 landscapes across the Snow Leopard range by 2020 | |
| Conservation Efforts in India | Project Snow Leopard (Government of India, 2009): Focus on conservation in high-altitude ecosystems |
| Community Involvement: Initiatives like Himal Sanrakshak recognize local communities’ role in protection and conflict reduction | |
| Snow Leopard Population Count: Introduced First National Protocol for population monitoring in 2019 | |
| Ministry’s Recovery Programme: Snow Leopard is on the list of 21 critically endangered species for recovery | |
| Snow Leopard Conservation Breeding Programme: Conducted at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, West Bengal |
