PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Jyotirmath.
To mark the International Snow Leopard Day, the Kedarnath Wildlife Division, in collaboration with the Alaknanda Soil Conservation Division, organised a public awareness rally in Gopeshwar on Thursday. The Forest department officials, school students and local people participated in the rally. The divisional forest officer, Sarvesh Kumar and sub-divisional forest officer, Mohan Singh of the Kedarnath Wildlife Division were prominent attendees at the event.
Addressing the participants, Kumar elaborated on the importance of the snow leopard and the need for its conservation. He explained that the snow leopard is a key component of the Himalayan ecosystem and the Government of India has declared it a flagship species, ensuring special protection for both the snow leopard and the entire Himalayan ecosystem. He explained that the current population of snow leopards in the country is 718 while Uttarakhand houses124. According to the 2019 census, 33 snow leopards were found in Nanda Devi National Park. Similarly, the presence of snow leopards has been recorded in camera traps for the first time in the Kedarnath Wildlife Division.
