AP Environmental Science

Snow leopards are on the list of the most endangered big cats. There are only 3000 to 6000 snow leopards that are still in the wild. This is becasue poachers make thousands of dollars off of their coats. They are sold in the blackmarker in numerous places, particularily in China.

The snow leopards movements can be tracked by their communication method with other snow leopards. They leave marks on certain lenadscapes. Some of the marks they leave inlclude: shallow holes that they dig and scent marks they leave behind.

  Snow leopard  (photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org)

Becuase of these marks, researchers are better able to keep track of the snow leopard population. They are then better able to determine whether and where snow leopards are bing illegally hunted.

One organization aimed to deture people from poaching snow leopards “works with local herding families to make woll handicrafts sold in Mongolia and in the United States to relieve the economic pressure to poach.”

I think that it sad that people have to resort to killing innocent animals to make money. I do, however, understand that some of the poachers might not be able to take care of themselves and their families without killing the snow leopards. I think that the organization that helps families to make wool handicrafts is a really good idea. It gives them money and doesn’t force them to become poachers.

Protecting the Snow Leopard from Poachers by: Elizabeth Arnold                                     http://www.npr.org/templates/story.story.php?storyId=66267700