Wildlife

Wild Snow Leopard Prey and Food Security

Snow leopard welfare is directly linked to the availability of their main prey species.

Key Facts

Blue sheep and ibex are the primary prey of snow leopards
Overgrazing by domestic livestock reduces wild prey availability
Low prey density forces snow leopards to take livestock
Prey supplementation programmes in some areas reduce human-snow leopard conflict

Welfare Considerations

Snow leopards in areas with depleted prey suffer nutritional stress and are forced into conflict with livestock herders. Hungry snow leopards taking domestic animals face retaliatory killing. The welfare of individual snow leopards depends on intact prey populations — protecting blue sheep and ibex habitat therefore protects snow leopard welfare indirectly through the food web.

What You Can Do

Support Snow Leopard Trust prey habitat protection
Advocate for grazing management policies that protect wild prey populations
Donate to snow leopard-prey dynamics research
Engage with herder community support programmes that reduce conflict