Extinct Animals : Snow Leopard

Found above the tree line and near permanent snow in central Asia's dry mountainous country, the snow leopard has been prized as a hunter's trophy, destroyed as a predator of domestic flocks, and sought as a source of valuable fur. Complete information as to its numbers is not available, but almost everywhere it is considered to be rare or in decline. Currently, the most serious threat to its survival is loss of habitat due to human expansion.

More than 150 snow leopards live in zoos where they have been bred successfully. The snow leopard is now listed as an endangered species and is legally protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In some places, however, enforcement of regulations is difficult. Reserves have been set aside for both the cat and its prey species.