News about conservation around the world.
The adventure continues from base camp in Mongolia! Our scientists and Mongolian conservation team are back with more news from their successful field expedition. Below, Senior Scientist Örjan Johansson shares his personal email updates. Then find out what each collared animal has been up to as we unlock new insights about these elusive mountain creatures.
At Snow Leopard Trust, we’re privileged to work alongside brilliant researchers and students from around the world, each bringing unique perspectives to critical conservation challenges. Today’s post comes from Cecilia Di Bernardi, a postdoctoral researcher who joined our scientists in Mongolia for the spring field expedition.
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.
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.
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.
Wildlife crime is a significant threat to global biodiversity, and Pakistan is no exception. Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a multi-billion-dollar industry endangering species like the vulnerable snow leopard. In Pakistan, an estimated eight snow leopards are poached annually. Yet, only a small number of these cases are reported. This highlights the urgent need for specialized training to tackle wildlife crimes. Recently, a Wildlife Crime Scene Investigation (WCSI) Training was organized in Chitra by our country team based at the Snow Leopard Foundation Pakistan (SLFP), providing field staff with essential skills to collect and analyze evidence related to such offenses.
Nestled in the wild mountains of Kyrgyzstan, a weathered cabin serves as a sanctuary where rangers protecting endangered snow leopards find themselves sharing quarters with unexpected visitors. Kubanych Jumabai, Director of our Kyrgyzstan Program and head of the Snow Leopard Foundation in Kyrgyzstan (SLFK), our partner organization in the country, shares the magic of conservation work on nature’s frontlines.
In the northern reaches of Mongolia, where the taiga forest meets rugged borderlands, ranger Boldbaatar’s exceptional vigilance has earned him recognition among his peers. His steadfast work combating illegal hunting and safeguarding the mountain home of an isolated snow leopard demonstrates how one dedicated guardian can make a difference.
Water is essential for all life—even for cats, despite their longstanding grievance towards it! All animals rely on water—a limited resource in the more arid parts of snow leopard habitat. During our long-term research study in the Gobi Desert, we’ve encountered multiple examples of the tight connection between cats and water.
Results from China’s first large-scale assessment of snow leopard populations were recently published. Researchers estimate a population of 1,002 individuals and a density of 0.90 cats per 100 km2 within the Sanjianyuan region of Qinghai Province, reinforcing China as a crucial player in global snow leopard conservation.
