This powerful story about our country partner in India shares how a remote Himalayan community turned conflict into coexistence and predators into protectors of their economy.
Category: Community Conservation
Sweet Solutions: How Honeybees Are Helping Snow Leopards
High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, an unlikely partnership is buzzing with possibility. Some local herding families are shifting their exclusive focus on livestock to include something sweeter—one that will make a difference for the endangered snow leopard. Beekeeping. What do honeybees have to do with snow leopards? Mountain communities have depended on grazing their …
A Surprising Conservation Tool: Livestock Vaccinations
As humanity learned the hard way from the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of disease outbreaks has been increasing for humans and animals, amplified by globalization and climate change. Improving livestock health is critical for preventing disease outbreaks in wildlife, and to help enhance the resilience of Indigenous peoples and local communities. Our partner organization in Pakistan, the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF), has successfully launched the first round of its 2025 Livestock Vaccination Campaign. This initiative is a crucial component of our community-centric conservation programs to promote coexistence with snow leopards.
The Traveling Trunk: Mongolia’s Mobile Conservation Project
Across Mongolia’s sweeping grasslands, an innovative conservation project is bringing communities closer to nature—one traveling trunk at a time. The Nomadic Trunk Project, launched in early 2024, pairs traditional Mongolian hospitality with modern conservation education to bridge the vast distances between nomadic households.
Compassionate Conservation: How one community saved a snow leopard cub from feral dogs
On January 25, 2024, the eve of India’s Republic Day, a snow leopard cub, approximately 8-9 months old, became separated from its mother and strayed into Khardong village in Ladakh, India. It soon found itself surrounded by feral dogs. The frightened cub scrambled up a sacred Stupa for protection. In the morning, villagers discovered a miniature version of the majestic snow leopard perched precariously atop a religious monument seeking refuge from the feral dog pack below.
How Women’s Perspectives Transform Conservation
Our team recently conducted a training workshop in Mongolia focused on gender inclusivity in conservation. Promoting gender equality is crucial for ensuring ethical and effective practices in conservation efforts.
Training the Trainers: Ethical Conservation Workshop
Snow Leopard Trust and its partners recently led a second “training-of-trainers” workshop on ethical community engagement for conservation in Mongolia’s Hustai National Park. All the conservationists traveled for multiple days with multiple layovers to participate in the training workshop. However, long layovers weren’t the biggest obstacle for many participants.
Proof in Action: Snow Leopard Conservation That Works
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.
How Do You Save a Foal from a Snow Leopard?
Horses are integral to the livelihood and culture of herding communities who coexist with snow leopards. Last year, one of our dedicated community partners in Mongolia, Enkhburen (Buren) Nyam, experienced the loss of a foal to a snow leopard attack. Both wolves and snow leopards pose a threat to young horses.
Petal Power: How Photography Fosters Coexistence with Snow Leopards
A friendly flower photography competition during a recent Snow Leopard Trust eco-camp was an opportunity for students to learn more about Kyrgyzstan’s mountain ecosystem. If you’re looking for environmental education opportunities, many activities can be replicated in your backyard!