Chapter 38 - South Asia: Pakistan

Abstract

Since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, snow leopard conservation was neglected due to lack of information and evolving conservation frameworks. The country’s inherited conservation laws heavily emphasized utilitarian forest management until the 1970s. The snow leopard was first protected in 1971 when listed in Pakistan’s Wildlife Ordinance, further highlighted in the 1980s by the Snow Leopard Trust, and in 1995 when the Eighth International Snow Leopard Symposium was held in Islamabad. Along with sympatric carnivores and endangered wild goats and sheep, an estimated 200–420 snow leopards thrive in the Hindu Kush, Karakorum, Himalaya, and Pamir mountains, which cover 80,000 km2 of the country. Although snow leopards are important components of the rich mountain ecology, culture, and traditions, their populations are declining due to conflicts with local agro-pastoral communities. This chapter outlines the cat’s conservation history and unique habitat in Pakistan, evaluates ongoing conservation efforts, and gives recommendations for the future.