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.
A small feline perhaps more elusive than the snow leopard, the Pallas’ cats remain understudied, and their full distribution is still largely unknown. An exciting discovery in the province of Himachal Pradesh, India, underscores the need for focused research and action for this little relative of our favorite big cat.
While you go about your daily life, something remarkable is unfolding in the rugged peaks of Mongolia: motion-triggered research cameras are capturing extraordinary moments in the lives of Earth’s most elusive big cat. These secret “selfies” of wild snow leopards aren’t just incredible images – they’re vital pieces of a complex conservation puzzle.
Our researchers have documented a previously unseen behavior: a snow leopard digging for water in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains. This observation sheds light on how these endangered cats may adapt to drought and arid environments.
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.
Snow Leopard Trust Senior Scientist Dr. Örjan Johannson has a bit of a reputation. Yes, he and our Mongolian team of conservationists have safely collared more snow leopards than all other studies put together, but what he’s really known for are his insightful and often dry email updates from the field. We’ve compiled a sampling below from the latest collaring effort in Mongolia. Enjoy!
