Q. What is the IUCN status of "Snow Leopard" that was recently seen in news?
Answer: Vulnerable
Notes: A group of tourists in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, recently had a rare encounter with a snow leopard, often called the ‘ghost of the mountains’ due to its elusive nature. The snow leopard, scientifically known as Panthera uncia, is a medium-sized big cat found in the rugged mountains of Central and South Asia. Although it has a wide range of over 2 million square kilometres, only around 3,920 to 6,390 are estimated to remain in the wild. It lives between 1,800 to 5,500 metres in altitude and is found in 12 countries including India, China, Nepal, and Russia. In India, it is found in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. It is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, under Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in India.

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