The Importance of One Health and Snow Leopards

Snow Leopards are part of a unique system in the Himalayas - keeping grazing species like Ibex or Bharal (Blue Sheep) from overpopulating. However, there is more at work than just the importance of the species. There are local communities that rely on livestock in order to maintain their livelihood and there is an even more important threat - one that is silent and proves fatal to not just the species it impacts but also humans and wildlife as well.

Rabies.

This disease is almost always fatal (99%) when symptoms are visible. It usually starts with dogs, but when saliva comes into contact with someone via open wounds, or in the mouth from an infected dog, then it can infect the other species as well. This is why the work Mission Rabies does is so important. Over the span of 2 days, the group I was with managed to vaccinate over 150 dogs against rabies alongside Mission Rabies.

So you see, everything is connected. The people, the environment, the wildlife - all of it impacts the other just as equally.