Owner Comments:
Country: Niue
Composition: Silver
Purity: .999
Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 2.97mm
Edge: Reeded
Mintage: 2000
Population: 44
Numista Rarity
Index 0-100 97
Sixth of the Series "Endangered Species", the Snow Leopard 1 oz 999 fine Silver coin featuring beautiful mirrored image of an endangered animal, a Snow Leopard in the act of leaping on prey. This scene is mirrored in the finely engraved water. Low mintage 2.000 pieces worldwide
What WWF is doing
WWF has been working for many years to conserve the snow leopard by supporting a range of projects across Central Asia to reduce conflict between leopards and people, boost rural development, and control the illegal wildlife trade.
For example, we’ve helped build leopard-proof livestock pens, and we’ve set up compensation schemes for farmers who lose livestock to snow leopards. And supported camera traps and collaring to learn more about this elusive species.
In 2015, WWF launched its first ever network-wide Species Action Plan for snow leopards.
This comprehenseive strategy builds upon the organization’s long history in snow leopard conservation as well as the projects that WWF offices are currently undertaking in snow leopard range states.
The new strategy defines WWF’s contribution to the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Plan, which was adopted by all 12 range states, and will ensure that WWF's efforts will complement the activities of governments and other organizations.
Under this strategy, WWF will work in 14 priority snow leopard landscapes.
The organization will focus on reducing poaching and stopping the trafficking of snow leopards and reducing demand for their parts through TRAFFIC.
It will also work to scale up successful community-based approaches to reduce human-leopard conflict, while helping to mitigate the threats of climate change.
These rare, beautiful gray leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia. They are insulated by thick hair, and their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. Snow leopards have powerful legs and are tremendous leapers, able to jump as far as 50 feet (15 meters). They use their long tails for balance and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill.
Snow leopards prey upon the blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalaya, as well as the mountain ibex found over most of the rest of their range. Though these powerful predators can kill animals three times their weight, they also eat smaller fare, such as marmots, hares, and game birds.
One Indian snow leopard, protected and observed in a national park, is reported to have consumed five blue sheep, nine Tibetan woolly hares, twenty-five marmots, five domestic goats, one domestic sheep, and fifteen birds in a single year
This courtesy the WWF and Power Coin.