Relevance (UPSC): GS-III – Environment & Biodiversity; Science & Tech (Genomics)

A Stanford-led study that sequenced the whole genomes of 37 snow leopards finds that they are the least genetically diverse among big cats—likely because their numbers have stayed small and scattered for a very long time. Low diversity can reduce disease resistance, fertility and the ability to adapt to rapid warming.

Auxiliary facts about the snow leopard (India focus)

• Lives across high Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya; in India it occurs in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
  
• Listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; trade is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
  
• India’s first national status report (2023) counted at least ~718 individuals.
  
• Key programmes: Project Snow Leopard (2009) and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (landscape, community and prey-base approach).
  

What to do

• Secure corridors so herds and cats can move and mix.
  
• Rebuild prey base (bharal, ibex), insure livestock, and prevent retaliation.
  
• Use genetic baselines before any assisted movement; climate-ready water and pasture plans.
  

Key terms: Genetic diversity (variety in genes), inbreeding depression (health loss from close breeding), metapopulation (separate groups that occasionally interbreed).

Exam hook – UPSC Prelims
Q. Which Indian measures directly protect the snow leopard?

1. Project Snow Leopard
2. Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act
3. Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme
   Answer: 1, 2 and 3.
   

One-line wrap: For the snow leopard, joining habitats is as important as guarding them.