Snow Leopard Conservation and High-Altitude Welfare

Snow leopards are among the most elusive big cats, facing threats from poaching, retaliatory killing, and climate-driven habitat loss across Central Asian mountain ranges.

Key Facts

An estimated 4,000-6,500 snow leopards remain in the wild across 12 range countries
Snow leopards are killed in retaliation for livestock predation, accounting for an estimated 20-30% of poaching
Climate change is shifting the treeline upward, compressing and fragmenting high-altitude habitat
Snow leopard cubs remain with their mothers for 18-22 months — disruption of family units impairs learning
Livestock insurance and predator-proof corrals significantly reduce retaliatory killing when implemented

Welfare Considerations

Snow leopard welfare is inseparable from conflict with pastoral communities who lose livestock to predation. When a family loses animals they cannot afford to replace, retaliatory killing of leopards is an understandable response to a genuine economic threat. Conservation approaches that compensate herders for livestock losses and provide predator-proof corrals address the root cause of conflict rather than simply protecting leopards while ignoring human livelihoods. This coexistence approach — already demonstrating success in several range countries — is the most welfare-effective pathway for both leopards and the communities sharing their landscape.

What You Can Do

Support coexistence programmes that compensate herders for snow leopard predation losses
Donate to predator-proof corral construction projects in snow leopard range countries
Oppose the trade in snow leopard pelts and bones used in traditional medicine
Advocate for climate-resilient protected area networks that preserve high-altitude corridors