In the mountain valleys of northern Pakistan, a snow leopard lived a long life. He hunted and roamed freely. He survived the most dangerous years an apex predator can face in a human-dominated landscape. And then, at roughly 12 years of age, he died quietly in a forested area above the village of Wakht, in Chitral’s Garam Chashma valley.
What have the collared individuals been up to since we last saw them? We’re currently tracking seven GPS-collared cats and one ibex roaming Mongolia’s Tost Mountains. They are part of our long-term monitoring program, which has followed 45 individual snow leopards across generations since 2009, giving us unique insights into the lives of these endangered predators and their prey.
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.
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.
In the high mountains of Mongolia’s Tost Nature Reserve, our researchers have been tracking snow leopards through one of the most demanding periods of their lives: the weeks before and after females give birth. What they discovered reveals remarkable maternal behaviors and preparation.
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.
Right now, in the remote peaks of Mongolia, cameras are quietly documenting moments most people will never witness: wild snow leopards roaming through their mountain kingdoms. Each image—triggered by motion as a cat passes by—tells part of a larger story about survival, behavior and what it takes to protect one of Earth’s most elusive big cats.
For many women living in snow leopard habitat, these endangered cats are often viewed as a threat to their livelihoods. As the primary caretakers of livestock, they feel the loss deeply when a snow leopard kills an animal, leading to an understandably negative view of the species. But a groundbreaking program in India is rewriting that narrative.
After nearly two decades without a national-scale gathering, Mongolia’s snow leopard community came together recently to address an urgent reality: the threats facing these cats have fundamentally changed, and so must the response.
In the mountains of Tost, Mongolia, every snow leopard mother faces the same ultimate challenge: keeping her cubs alive. Our Senior Scientist, Dr. Örjan Johansson shares how two snow leopard mothers with new litters have chosen remarkably different strategies to ensure their cubs’ survival.
