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Daily News Analysis » February 2024 » Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program : 6 Feb, 2024

Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program : 6 Feb, 2024

The Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released the SPAI report during the National Board for Wildlife meeting in New Delhi.

Table of Content

Key Points:

Objective: First-ever scientific exercise to assess India’s snow leopard population.
Coordinator: Wildlife Institute of India (WII), supported by Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mysuru, and WWF-India.
Coverage: Over 70% of potential snow leopard habitats in the trans-Himalayan region, including Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Methodology: Two-step framework involving spatial distribution evaluation and abundance estimation through camera traps.
Duration: 2019-2023.

Key Data of the SPAI Report

Population Estimate: 718 snow leopards in India.

National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

Function: Apex body for wildlife conservation matters in India.
Authority: Constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Role: Advises on wildlife conservation policies and approves projects affecting protected areas.
Composition: Chaired by the Prime Minister, includes MPs, NGOs, and experts in ecology, conservation, and environmentalism.

Why in News:

The Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released the SPAI report during the National Board for Wildlife meeting in New Delhi.