According to a new count, there are 700 snow leopards in India. New Findings: Has the Mystery of Amelia Earhart’s Disappearance Been Solved?

There are currently more than 700 snow leopards living in the wild in India. The Ministry of Environment in New Delhi announced this result after a counting campaign lasting several years.

To ensure the long-term survival of the rare animals, constant monitoring of the population is important. The shy loners with gray-white fur with dark patterns are often called the ‘spirit of the mountains’ because they are rarely seen. According to the environmental foundation WWF, some 4,200 to 6,400 of these animals still live freely, well camouflaged, in the rocky, snow-covered high mountains of Central Asia and the Himalayas. They are listed as “endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Major threats to them include habitat loss and poachers.

The analysis in India was conducted between 2019 and 2023 on about 120,000 square kilometers – more than 70 percent of the estimated snow leopard habitat in the country, the report said. Those involved included nature officials, researchers, volunteers and the environmental organization WWF. First, the distribution of the animals in the area was estimated. Photos of 241 snow leopards were later taken using camera traps. The number has been extrapolated based on this and other data. (sda/dpa)