Human health and snow leopards: how are they related?

Snow leopard habitats are traditionally thought to have a low risk of disease prevalence and outbreaks. In a newly published paper, Snow Leopard Trust scientists and their collaborators draw attention to the increasing risk of disease outbreaks, which, unless managed proactively, can threaten wildlife as well as people.

Women and natural resources: how nature, gender and social divisions intersect

To conserve snow leopards and natural resources better, we must understand and identify the important roles that women can – and do – play in local societies. In a recently published paper, Snow Leopard Trust researchers examine the role of women and the nuanced intersection between gender and social divisions in the governance of irrigation water in the Spiti Valley – a critical area for snow leopard conservation.

Mates or Munchies – What Drives Big Cats’ Spatial Behavior?

Most big cats are territorial, with males commonly using larger home ranges than females. But what is driving the spatial behavior of these cats? A new study published in the journal Ecosphere compares spatial data from snow leopards and pumas to better understand what is governing their territorial behavior. Two factors stand out: abundance of prey and access to potential mates. However, the way they work together is not what researchers expected.

Red List status of snow leopard: Data doesn’t support the IUCN’s decision.

In a commentary published in the top international journal SCIENCE on March 9th, 2018, two leading snow leopard researchers, Dr. Charudutt Mishra of the Snow Leopard Trust, and Dr. Som Ale of the University of Illinois at Chicago, challenge the scientific merit of the data and assumptions used by the IUCN in down listing snow leopards on the Red List.

Putting a Price Tag on Nature’s Priceless Gifts

The value of nature’s goods and services that local people living in Asia’s mountains depend on is several times more than their average household income. In other words, if things such as fresh water and productive grasslands provided by the ecosystem were lost, it would spell ruin for these communities. These are the results of …