Snow Leopard Trust

The Snow Leopard Trust is working to protect:

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

This large cat species is found across 12 nations in Central Asia. Estimated population is 3,500-7,000 individuals living in highly fragmented habitat. The species had been eradicated from parts of its historic range and is suspected to have declined by at least 20% over the past two generations due to critical threats. About 75% of its current range lies outside of protected areas. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listing is Endangered.

Habitat: 

Alpine and sub-alpine ecological zones. Snow leopards prefer broken, rocky terrain with vegetation that is dominated by shrubs or grasses and usually avoid dense forest. They generally occur between elevations of 3,000 to 4,500 meters (9,842-14,763 feet) , except within their northern range limit where they are found at lower elevations of 900 to 2,500 meters (2,952-8,202 feet). Much of snow leopard habitat is very dry, with less than 300 mm of annual precipitation.

 

Critical threats to wildlife:

• Conflict with local communities when snow leopards prey on livestock

 

• Poaching

 

Snow Leopard Trust Success Stories  

In June 2008, the Snow Leopard Trust announced the successful launch of a new long-term study of snow leopards with the establishment of the J. Tserendeleg Snow Leopard Research Centerin Mongolia’s South Gobi Province. Located in the Tost Mountains, approximately 250 km west of the provincial capital of Dalanzadgad, the research center is situated in some of Mongolia’s best snow leopard habitat. Dr. Tom McCarthy of the Snow Leopard Trust says, “Although there have been several valuable studies of the species to date, most were short-term or at most four or five years in duration, and such short-term efforts simply cannot provide the understanding we need to conserve these cats.”

In 2007, the Snow Leopard Trust expanded Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) into four new communities in Mongolia, all located in prime snow leopard habitat. SLE-Mongolia now has over 400 participants in 26 communities in all seven provinces that support snow leopards. Overall, the SLE model has become very successful. It was introduced in Kyrgyzstan in 2002 and in 2007, the Kyrgyz branch expanded by 40% to include a total of 70 participants. Between Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, there has been a 100% reduction in snow leopard poaching among all families participating in SLE.

To read more sucess stories, visit the Snow Leopard Trust's website at www.snowleopard.org

 

 

One of Woodland Park Zoo's resident snow leopards helped pioneer a new radio telemetry collar which was later used to remotely track a wild snow leopard, helping to determine range used by these cats.

 

Asia-Pacific projects

Cranes of Asia

Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Project

Global Field Training in Conservation Biology

Hornbill Research Foundation

Hutan Asian Elephant Conservation

International Partula Snail Field Program

Snow Leopard Trust

Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program

 

Snow leopards are incredibly elusive animals whose habitat is spread over thousands of square miles of rugged terrain in Central Asia.

Many of those living in snow leopard habitat are nomadic herders whose livelihood depends on livestock. Snow leopards sometimes kill livestock, especially if their native prey species are gone, which puts them in conflict with local communities.

Snow Leopard Enterprises, founded by the Snow Leopard Trust, has created markets for goods created by people in snow leopard areas, making the need to poach to earn money less necessary.