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ANNOUNCING THE THEME OF THE SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVANCY’S 7TH ANNUAL ARTWORK & POETRY CONTEST
Interwoven Destiny – Protecting Snow Leopards To Protect Our Planet
Our destiny is interwoven with that of our natural world. By working together with local communities to protect the snow leopard, a keystone species of the high-mountain Central Asian ecosystem, we’re helping to maintain biodiversity of animal and plant life, which is important for ecosystem health and stability.
Also known as the Third Pole, this fragile ecosystem “contains the third largest store of fresh water on the planet in the form of permanent ice. Melting ice feeds Asia’s ten largest rivers, providing water for drinking and irrigation to more than 1.3 billion people, approximately 20 percent of the world’s population.”
“Contemplation” – Sarah Stribbling
Ecological Significance
The snow leopard plays an essential role in maintaining the balance of the high mountain ecosystem. By controlling population numbers of its herbivorous prey species, it helps to prevent overgrazing, which can result in erosion and ultimately degradation of the landscape. The presence of an apex predator like the snow leopard is, thus, essential in order to avoid these detrimental effects not only on wildlife, but also on domestic animals and rural communities.
“Chasing Snow” – Painting by Jaqui-Lynne Walsh
Cultural Significance
Beyond protecting this great cat for its important ecological significance, we are also safeguarding a species that, through its cultural and spiritual link with humanity, provides us with the hope of a peaceful and enduring future. The snow leopard has long been regarded as a spiritual being and a source of spiritual power. It’s seen as an overseer of the landscape, a guardian of the plants and animals that live within it, and a cultural symbol of strength and perseverance.
“Snow Leopard on the Mountain” – Painting by Feng Yang
Interconnectedness
As author and photographer Bjorn Persson tells us –
Long before humans appeared, it was roaming the snow-capped ridges of the mountains. Unmoved by human destruction and with wisdom reflecting in its iridescent blue-green eyes, it still patrols the ridges as it has done for so many centuries, watching over the world. And so we must do whatever we can to protect the snow leopard, not only because its presence ensures the stability of the high mountain ecosystem, but also because this mysterious cat in some way provides hope for humanity. When we save the snow leopard, we’re not just saving a species from extinction, we are saving ourselves.
Excerpts: Kidd and Persson, Searching for the Snow Leopard, Guardian of the High Mountains, 2020.