Snow leopards are endangered across their high-altitude Central Asian range. Livestock depredation leads to retaliatory killing by herders, while climate change is reducing their prey base and pushing them lower into human-occupied areas.
Snow leopards killed by herders in retaliation for livestock losses experience the same acute welfare harm as any illegally persecuted predator. Cubs left without a mother cannot survive. Insurance and predator-proof corral programs that eliminate the economic incentive for retaliation directly prevent welfare harm while creating conditions for coexistence. Climate change driving prey into lower elevations brings snow leopards into more frequent conflict with herder communities.