Snow Leopards Face Extinction As Climate Gets Hotter

The world is getting hotter, and the changing climate poses a threat to most living creatures, not the least of which are snow leopards. According to WWF, a conservation charity, 30% or more of snow leopards' habitats could end up being uninhabitable (to them) as a result of shifting climates, with hotter temperatures being blamed. Snow leopards are notoriously elusive and are already endangered, and human-driven climate change may eradicate them altogether.

Snow leopards have adapted to life in the world's colder, rockier regions, particularly the Central Asia mountainous regions. It is hard to spot one of the animals, not the least of which is due to their light camouflaged coats, but efforts have been underway to keep tabs on the cats. For obvious regions, the snow leopard's habitat is not compatible with global warming.

The snow leopard is already endangered, part of that being due to a dramatic loss in prey, leading them into human-filled areas where they may be killed for attacking livestock. Other issues endangering the animals includes poaching, a sad problem that continues to affect many species, and fragmentation of the snow leopards' habitat, with humans treading into places where only big cats used to roam.

As the world grows warmer, the tree line in these regions will creep higher in the mountains, as well other plants. Those plants won't be able to properly feed and maintain the prey upon which snow leopards feast, and will also have big effects on the water supply derived from these mountains. Other large prey will creep higher, as well, forcing the big cats to compete with them. In due time, this will result in catastrophe to snow leopard populations, possibly driving them to the point of extinction.

SOURCE: BBC