Livestock herded at high altitude in the Himalayas, Andes, and Tibetan Plateau face extreme weather, oxygen limitation, and predation challenges that create distinct welfare issues.
High-altitude livestock welfare is shaped by the extreme conditions these animals must cope with. Even adapted species face weather events, parasite burdens, and nutritional scarcity at high altitude. Non-adapted species moved to high pasture suffer altitude sickness with respiratory distress. Predation events cause acute suffering and secondary trauma for surviving herd members. The coexistence of high-altitude livestock herding and predator species including snow leopards creates welfare dilemmas for herders who lose animals and may retaliate. Compensation schemes for predator losses provide economic support that reduces retaliatory killing pressure, improving welfare outcomes for both predators and the livestock community.