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The Snow Leopard 
Because of the inaccessibility of much of the snow leopards habitat the exact numbers left in the wild is unknown, but some estimates place the figure as low as 4,500 to 5000. The decline in population has, in the past, been mainly due to the snow leopards much sought after fur and although the animal is protected in most areas, local hunting and trapping still remains a threat. As with the Tiger, the snow leopard is still hunted for its bones, which are commonly used in many Chinese medicines and this, along with the enforced decline of many of the cats larger prey species, places continuing pressure on the remaining numbers of snow leopard left in the wild. OTHER SNOW LEOPARD NAMES ounce (English) panthère des nieges, léopard des neiges, once (France) schneeleopard, Irbis (Germany) leopardo nival, pantera, de las nieves (Spanish) xue bao (Chinese) bharal he, barfani chita (Hindi, Urdu: India, Pakistan) palang-i-berfy (Dari: Afghanistan) shan (Ladakhi: India) hiun chituwa (Nepal) Ikar (Pakistan) snezhnai bars (Russian) irbis, irvis (Russia, Central Asian republics, Mongolia) sarken (Tibetan) chen (Bhutan) |
