Petition to Environment Ministers of the 12 Snow Leopard Range Countries
We are calling on leaders from the snow leopard range countries to take action to minimize disease transmission between wildlife and people.
Why is this important?
The COVID-19 pandemic is a truly global tragedy of immense proportions that reminds us that we are all intricately connected. It’s also a critical reminder of the close relationship between human and wildlife health and the need to protect both at once.
COVID-19 is just one example of a novel infectious disease to have its origins in wild animals. As weather patterns shift, habitats are destroyed, and people (and livestock) move further into remote locations, there is increased risk of transmission of diseases between animals and people. We are suffering through COVID-19 today, but SARS, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS all have their origins in human-wildlife overlap.
Snow leopards may inhabit some of the last great mountain strongholds on earth, but these mountains are not removed from the global pandemic nor the risk for future outbreaks. In snow leopard habitat across the globe, people, livestock, and wildlife live in close proximity. They share habitats, pastures, and even scarce water sources. Continued poaching and trade of snow leopards and other mountain wildlife, warming weather patterns, new roads and infrastructure, pollution and the pressures of economic development all increase the risk of pandemics. Snow leopard habitats are also home to glaciers and permafrost surfaces that have been frozen for millennia. Erratic climate patterns are already altering these habitats, potentially making the environment pathogen-rich, and humans are likely to have little immunity to these pathogens.
People in remote mountain communities have few if any resources for healthcare, wildlife monitoring, and sustainable livelihoods. We cannot put high mountain communities and the world at risk of the next pandemic outbreak.
We request the snow leopard nations of the world to:
Prioritize healthcare support for local people in snow leopard habitat
Undertake stronger conservation measures to disrupt poaching and illegal trade of snow leopards, wild prey, and associated mountain wildlife
Create adaptive and sustainable livelihood and income development programs and usher in green, sustainable mountain development over extractive and damaging industries
Support disease research, surveillance and monitoring in mountain ecosystems
We ask the twelve snow leopard nations of the world to take this monumental stand and change the trajectory of economic development and conservation in order to save humanity and protect snow leopards and the other magnificent mountain biodiversity on our planet.
Sign PetitionSign PetitionWhy is this important?
The COVID-19 pandemic is a truly global tragedy of immense proportions that reminds us that we are all intricately connected. It’s also a critical reminder of the close relationship between human and wildlife health and the need to protect both at once.
COVID-19 is just one example of a novel infectious disease to have its origins in wild animals. As weather patterns shift, habitats are destroyed, and people (and livestock) move further into remote locations, there is increased risk of transmission of diseases between animals and people. We are suffering through COVID-19 today, but SARS, Ebola, and HIV/AIDS all have their origins in human-wildlife overlap.
Snow leopards may inhabit some of the last great mountain strongholds on earth, but these mountains are not removed from the global pandemic nor the risk for future outbreaks. In snow leopard habitat across the globe, people, livestock, and wildlife live in close proximity. They share habitats, pastures, and even scarce water sources. Continued poaching and trade of snow leopards and other mountain wildlife, warming weather patterns, new roads and infrastructure, pollution and the pressures of economic development all increase the risk of pandemics. Snow leopard habitats are also home to glaciers and permafrost surfaces that have been frozen for millennia. Erratic climate patterns are already altering these habitats, potentially making the environment pathogen-rich, and humans are likely to have little immunity to these pathogens.
People in remote mountain communities have few if any resources for healthcare, wildlife monitoring, and sustainable livelihoods. We cannot put high mountain communities and the world at risk of the next pandemic outbreak.
We request the snow leopard nations of the world to:
Prioritize healthcare support for local people in snow leopard habitat
Undertake stronger conservation measures to disrupt poaching and illegal trade of snow leopards, wild prey, and associated mountain wildlife
Create adaptive and sustainable livelihood and income development programs and usher in green, sustainable mountain development over extractive and damaging industries
Support disease research, surveillance and monitoring in mountain ecosystems
We ask the twelve snow leopard nations of the world to take this monumental stand and change the trajectory of economic development and conservation in order to save humanity and protect snow leopards and the other magnificent mountain biodiversity on our planet.
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