Myanmar Snow Leopard Study Finds 60% of Habitat in China

By NyaungU Phee

DUE to human energy consumption and de­forestation, environmen­tal degradation has increasingly threatened the Earth’s long-term sustainability. The impacts on air, soil, water, forests, and wildlife are causing natural disasters and altering ecosystems year by year. In particular, deforestation and melting glaciers highlight global warming. Forests and glaciers interact with human survival, maintaining ecological balance, and wildlife within these ecosys­tems, including species in forests and glacial mountain ranges, are essential components of nature.

Among these species, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), widely recognized as the “king of snowy mountains,” is a wild cat species belonging to the large cat family, classified under the Panthera uncia subspecies. In­ternational conservation organ­izations have given it protected status. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the snow leopard as a vulnerable species, noting that it faces risks of extinction globally, with ongo­ing conservation efforts.

Snow leopards can leap ap­proximately 15 metres and meas­ure 1.4 metres in body length, with tails ranging from 90–100 centimetres. Their fur is a mix of grey and white with black spots. They are mostly nocturnal and solitary. Their tails contain thick fur to help maintain balance and resist cold, and their large paws allow movement on snow. Female snow leopards have a gestation period of about 100 days, usually giving birth to 2–3 cubs. They are primarily found in Central Asia, including China, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Russia, and face decreasing numbers due to poaching for fur.

Globally, snow leopard pop­ulations in glacial mountains are estimated to range between 2,700 and 3,300 individuals, while some surveys suggest 3,000–5,000 indi­viduals exist worldwide. Monitor­ing remains challenging due to wide-ranging habitats and elu­sive behaviour.

In Myanmar, snow leopard populations were studied in the northern glacier areas of Khak­aborazi National Park near the Myanmar-China-India border. Between 2017 and 2018, research­ers from Myanmar, together with Panthera Corporation based in the US, conducted field surveys. Camera traps were set up at alti­tudes of 14,880 feet, and 71 cam­eras were installed at 11,648 feet and 11,705 feet across glaciers in the Khakaborazi area to record and monitor the species.

Snow leopards in Myanmar are part of the critical northern glacier ecosystem, and China’s Sanjiangyuan region, bordering Myanmar, is one of the densest habitats, containing roughly 60 per cent of the world’s snow leop­ard population. Conservation re­search has recorded snow leop­ard movements and estimated population sizes using infrared camera surveys and over 10,000 movement records, making it one of the largest studies globally.

The Khakaborazi National Park, located along Myanmar’s northern glacier ranges, remains an essential habitat for the rare snow leopard. The species plays a key role in the glacial ecosys­tem. Myanmar, in collaboration with China, continues to conduct research and conservation ef­forts. Monitoring and protecting snow leopards in this border re­gion demonstrates the country’s capacity to safeguard endan­gered wildlife in Southeast Asia and supports global conservation initiatives. — KZL