Snow leopard taken off 'endangered' list after 45 years

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has taken snow leopard off the "endangered" list, where it was included in 1972. In the new assessment, IUCN has placed the animal under the less-threatened "vulnerable" category. To be considered endangered, species need to have global populations of fewer than 2,500 adults with a decline rate of 20% over 16 years.