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Fragile connections: snow leopards, people, water and the global climate

  • 23/10/2015
  • WWF

Urgent international action must be taken in the face of climate change to save the snow leopard and conserve its fragile mountain habitats that provide water to hundreds of millions of people across Asia, according to a new WWF report. The report titled Fragile Connections: Snow leopards, people, water and the global climate, launched on 23 October 2015- International Snow Leopard Day, reveals that more than a third of snow leopard habitat could be rendered unsuitable for the endangered big cats if climate change is not checked. Warmer temperatures could see the tree line shifting up the mountains and farmers planting crops and grazing livestock at higher altitudes, squeezing the remaining snow leopards into smaller pockets. 2015 is also the 'International Year of the Snow Leopard' and marks an important turning point as snow leopard range countries across the WWF network commit to take action and start an exciting new global initiative to save the world's snow leopards.