It was February 2024. I was in the high Himalayas. In the distance, I watched a well-choreographed drama playing out as two snow leopards stalked each other on the winter snow. With a considered stance, one crouched low, its every sense alert. The second cat, barely concealed behind a small rock, watched the other’s every move. Then, in perfect synchrony, they launched into a mutual ambush, leaping in the air with their paws extended, attacking each other in joyful sibling play.
A recent study led by our team in Mongolia examined the ecological relationship between snow leopards and the Eurasian lynx. These two species share habitat across large swaths of Asia, including southern Mongolia. Despite this overlap, little is known about their interactions.
Check out the blogs you loved most in 2024! It’s amazing to see which stories and conservation projects really touched your hearts. Our snow leopard family keeps growing, so we thought we’d highlight the year’s biggest hits – perfect for newcomers or if you happened to miss them the first time. Please keep those comments coming – we love hearing what you think!
On a dark August night in 2009, a tiny snow leopard cub and her sibling trailed behind their mother through the rocky Tost mountains of Mongolia. Unbeknownst to them, they triggered one of our motion-sensor research cameras, which captured the image above. That moment was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with perhaps the most well-known and beloved snow leopard in our long-running scientific study.
Dr. Kulbhushansingh (Kullu) Suryawanshi, Director of our India Program based at the Nature Conservation Foundation, saw his first snow leopard fifteen years ago while standing on the roof of a house in Kibber village. Temperatures had dropped well below freezing, and everything the eye could see was covered in snow.
A small feline perhaps more elusive than the snow leopard, the Pallas’ cats remain understudied, and their full distribution is still largely unknown. An exciting discovery in the province of Himachal Pradesh, India, underscores the need for focused research and action for this little relative of our favorite big cat.
While you go about your daily life, something remarkable is unfolding in the rugged peaks of Mongolia: motion-triggered research cameras are capturing extraordinary moments in the lives of Earth’s most elusive big cat. These secret “selfies” of wild snow leopards aren’t just incredible images – they’re vital pieces of a complex conservation puzzle.
Our researchers have documented a previously unseen behavior: a snow leopard digging for water in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains. This observation sheds light on how these endangered cats may adapt to drought and arid environments.
Community-based and led conservation practices have been part of Snow Leopard Trust’s modus operandi for decades. However, the performance of such programs is rarely measured, making it difficult to assess their impact. A recent study evaluated the effectiveness of our large-scale, community-based conservation initiatives in five countries.
This Oct. 23 is the 11th anniversary of International Snow Leopard Day. We invite you to celebrate with us and spread the word about the need to protect the elusive ghost of the mountains and its fragile ecosystems. Read on to find out how twelve nations, often at odds with one another, set aside their differences to create this momentous day.
