Snow leopards face retaliatory killing from herders whose livestock they prey on, making human-wildlife coexistence programs critical for conservation and welfare.
Snow leopards killed in retaliation for livestock losses often experience painful deaths from leg-hold traps, poison, or shooting. Animals wounded but not killed face prolonged suffering. Cubs orphaned when adults are killed are unlikely to survive. The slow decline of wild prey species forces snow leopards into greater contact with livestock, creating a cycle of conflict. Snared snow leopards that survive may lose limbs or develop fatal infections before dying or being discovered.