The magnificent and highly endangered snow leopard needs your help. This extraordinary animal roams the high mountains of Asia, known as Earth's Third Pole. The lives of snow leopards and local indigenous peoples are as intertwined with glaciers and snow as they are with each other.
The Third Pole is projected to warm at twice the average rate of the northern hemisphere. Flash floods, droughts and other climate disasters are already causing significant losses to lives, livestock and livelihoods and are impacting snow leopard habitat.
Climate-induced changes will interact with and intensify other threats snow leopards already face, such as habitat loss, illegal hunting and trade, retaliatory killing due to their predation on livestock and decline of prey populations.
It's time to enact bold measures to protect snow leopards and the Third Pole. Your voice matters! Please join concerned citizens from around the world to request political leaders take the following actions:
- Strengthen efforts to protect snow leopards and turn this iconic mountain species into the international symbol of climate resilience across the Earth's Third Pole.
- Implement climate-resilient livelihood and income development programs for local and indigenous communities linked to people's well-being and conservation of snow leopards.
- Strengthen disease and healthcare management in snow leopard habitats to minimize disease risks for people, livestock and wildlife.
- Ensure that economic and infrastructure development in mountain ecosystems is sensitive to the needs of snow leopards and their habitat.
Sign this petition and ask political leaders of snow leopard countries to protect snow leopards by prioritizing climate adaptation programs across their habitat. Dear Ministers,
Snow leopards and people face multifaceted threats associated with climate change, infrastructure development, globalization and the intensifying risk of infectious diseases.
I request you to take action to protect snow leopards by prioritizing climate adaptation programs across their habitat, known as the Earth's Third Pole.
The world has begun to recognize the vulnerability of the North and the South Poles to climate change. However, the retreat of glaciers and melting of snow across the Third Pole and associated climate disasters have received little attention and require urgent action.
The vulnerable snow leopard has uniquely evolved to live in Asia's high mountains. Its near-mythical presence is a testament to the power of coexistence within local and indigenous communities. But the clock is ticking.
I therefore respectfully appeal to you to:
- Strengthen efforts to protect snow leopards and turn this iconic mountain species into the international symbol of climate resilience across the Earth's Third Pole.
- Implement climate-resilient livelihood and income development programs for local and indigenous communities that are linked to people's well-being and conservation of snow leopards.
- Strengthen disease and healthcare management in snow leopard habitats to minimize disease risks for people, livestock and wildlife.
- Ensure that economic and infrastructure development in mountain ecosystems are sensitive to the needs of snow leopards and their habitat.
Thank you for your consideration and action.
Sincerely,
[Name]
