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.
Our team in Pakistan, based at the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF), produces a monthly newsletter with the vision of inspiring the people of Pakistan to live in harmony with wildlife. They advocate for a world where nature is valued and conserved and ecosystem services are sustained to deliver benefits essential for all people. This month, we’re excited to share one of their many uplifting stories.
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.
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.
