Snow leopard, native to Central and South Asia is now at risk of completely disappearing, UN

NEW YORK. KAZINFORM One of the most endangered cat species in the world, often referred to by locals who know them as «the ghosts of the mountains», are elusive by nature, but the snow leopard, native to Central and South Asia is now at risk of completely disappearing.

Only between 4,000 and 7,500 leopards are left in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Red List Species, the UN News official website reads.

On Snow Leopard Day, recognized annually on 23 October, the UN’s Environment wing (UNEP) has teamed up with regional partners in Tajikistan and the Kyrgz Republic to better understand the big cat’s vulnerabilities, and help the population coexist alongside humans, as part of it’s Vanishing Treasures initiative.

Demand for the leopard’s fur, and increasing pressures on their habitats imposed by climate change and pastoralists, has landed the endangered cat a place on the International Red List of threatened species, alongside some 28,000 other animals at risk of extinction. UNEP's Wild for Life campaign, rooted in the UN’s 2030 targets to protect and restore the planet, is donating funds to a snow leopard science trust to save the animal from extinction.