Snow Leopards Get Upgraded
September 14, 2017
Snow leopards have been upgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” Still, scientists are urging caution. While efforts to protect these elusive big cats are helping, snow leopards still face serious dangers, including poaching for their thick fur and the overhunting of their wild prey.
"It is important that a change in status is not misinterpreted," Peter Zahler, Coordinator of the WCS Snow Leopard Program said in a statement, "this change does not mean that the snow leopard has been ‘saved’ and efforts on its behalf can stop."
The change in status came after a three-year assessment process by five international experts, including scientists from academia and from Panthera, Snow Leopard Conservancy, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, organizations that are active in snow leopard conservation.
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