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♤ The high altitudes of India (> 3000 m. to 130,000 km2, including the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya biogeographic zones) support a unique wildlife assemblage of global conservation importance.
♤ This includes highly endangered populations of species such as the snow leopard, two species of bears, wolf, red panda, mountain ungulates such as the wild yak, chiru, Tibetan gazelle, Tibetan argali, Ladakh urial, two species of musk deer, the hangul, three species of goral, serow, and takin, etc. High altitude lakes and bogs provide breeding grounds for a variety of avifauna including the black-necked crane, barheaded Geese, brahminy ducks, and brown-headed gulls, etc.
♤ India has ratified international agreements promoting the conservation of high altitude wildlife species such as the snow leopard.
♤ In 2003, the Convention on Migratory Species included the snow leopard as a Concerted Action Species under its Appendix I.
♤ Similarly, in 2003, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) expanded the scope of the CITES Tiger Enforcement Task Force to include all Asian big cat species including the snow leopard.
♤ In both cases, representatives of the MoEF played a vital role in elevating the conservation prominence of the snow leopard internationally.
♤ Each state will select one biologically important site and develop a science-based, participatory conservation programme in that site in the first five years of Project Snow Leopard. This will be subsequently expanded to include other biologically important sites.