Snow leopards are elusive high-altitude predators whose conservation requires addressing prey depletion, retaliatory killing, and climate change.
Snow leopards face welfare harms from retaliatory killing, snaring, and increasing livestock-wildlife conflict. Animals killed in retaliation often suffer prolonged deaths from snares or poisoning. Prey depletion forces nutritional stress. Climate change compounds these stressors by altering prey distribution and habitat. Conservation approaches that prevent livestock losses through corrals and guardian dogs reduce both conflict and welfare harms.