Himalayas Under Threat

The World Wildlife Fund,which sponsors a Living Himalayas Intiative,is warning that the cultural and biological diversity of the Himalayas is threatened by global warming and development.The Himalayas,stretching from Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia,southeastward to China and Bhutan,are home to some 350 species discovered just in the past decade.They include the world's smallest deer,catfish that stick to rocks,and a flying frog.Unless climate change is reversed,the WWF says,this richness could be lost forever.Perhaps the snow leopard is the most spectacular of the mountain range's wildlife.