Today, protecting the cat means ensuring that communities have the agency, tools, and benefits to continue living alongside it. Coexistence is no longer an idea but a lived reality.
Category: Community Conservation
Kullu, Shadow, and the Ghost of the Mountains
In January 2008, Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi was 23 when he encountered three snow leopards in Spiti: a mother, her cub, and a sub-adult male beginning to make his way on his own. That night, Kullu bought livestock for a feast because the entire village wanted to celebrate.
Living with Snow Leopards Takes Time and Trust
As a teenager in Mongolia, Dr. Tserennadmid (Nadia) Mijiddorj watched herders come to her family home after snow leopards had taken their livestock. Those early conversations shaped more than twenty years of work building trust between communities and conservationists.
Next-Gen Wildlife Tracking in Pakistan
The snow-capped mountains of northern Pakistan are home to some of the world’s most elusive species, from the iconic snow leopard to wolves, bears, and ibex. Protecting them is no easy task. They roam vast, rugged landscapes, often at low densities, making them difficult to track. Yet, our team at the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) is finding new ways to “listen” to nature’s hidden signals, while also relying on local guardians who keep a watchful eye on the ground.
What a Tiny Pea Can Tell Us About the Himalayas
The high-altitude valleys where snow leopards live are also home to farming communities with deep roots in the land. An award-winning study, co-authored by Kulbhushansingh Suryawansh, Director of our India program, and team members from the India program, examines what’s at stake as traditional crops disappear. Read on to find out what a 3,000-year-old pea can teach us about food sovereignty and climate resilience.
Scaling New Peaks: Snow Leopard Trust Expands to Nepal!
Journey to the heart of the Himalaya as we celebrate our official expansion into Nepal. Through interviews with our newest colleagues, Dr. Tulshi Laxmi Suwal and Sanjan Thapa, discover how a new community-centered partnership is turning the snow leopard into a symbol of local pride and conservation leadership.
Views from the Gobi: Local Perceptions of Environmental Risk
In the vast, arid landscapes of southern Mongolia, the delicate balance between nature and human survival is shifting. New research highlights how climate change and different land uses affect the Gobi’s life-sustaining ecosystem services—and how the people living there perceive these growing threats.
From the Mountains to Your Doorstep: A Craft Woven with Heritage and Heart
Deep in the northern highlands of Pakistan lies Laspur, a valley like no other. Nestled near Shandur, the world’s highest polo ground, this alpine region is known for its dramatic peaks, expansive green meadows, vibrant summer polo festivals, and the quiet presence of the snow leopard, often called the Ghost of the Mountain.
Where the Snow Leopard Lives Among its People
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.
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 …