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.
In one of Mongolia’s most spectacular landscapes, a vulnerable species is thriving. But for how long depends on decisions being made right now. In September 2025, a team of researchers and rangers set out across the vast expanse of the South Gobi to count goitered gazelles. The mission had two goals: to gather reliable data on gazelle populations and to train local rangers in modern survey techniques.
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.
You’ve probably heard us say that there may be as few as 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild today. But what about a million years ago? New research from a study between Stanford University, Snow Leopard Trust and other collaborators suggests that snow leopards have had a consistently low population for at least the last nine hundred thousand years – and that could spell trouble for their future.
Findings from a new study have upended long-held assumptions about snow leopard eating habits. The results? Bigger is (almost) always better.
When our team recently visited five wild snow leopard cubs in their dens in Mongolia, the news made waves around the world. But this rare event isn’t just headline worthy—it’s scientifically important for the survival of the species. Since 2008, we’ve only visited snow leopard dens five other times. Each discovery provides vital data about reproduction in these elusive cats. Read on to find out why these moments matter so much for snow leopard conservation.
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.
Exciting news from base camp in Mongolia! Our senior scientists and Mongolian conservation team have just added two more snow leopards to our groundbreaking study. With more collared cats than all other research projects combined, we’re unlocking new insights about these elusive mountain ghosts. Witness conservation science in action through Senior Scientist Orjan Johansson’s email updates below.
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.
