First-Ever Observation of Water-Digging Behavior in Snow Leopards

Buren Nyam is a community ranger who works closely with Snow Leopard Trust and Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation (SLCF) and was born and raised in the Tost Mountains. He initially observed distinct paw markings at a temporary watering hole near his home in early 2022. Digging for water is not a widely observed phenomenon for big cats, so our team placed camera traps near the site to assess the behavior and the potential role of snow leopards as “ecological engineers.” Ecological engineers are species that directly or indirectly shape the environment in ways that impact other organisms. In this instance, the snow leopard digging may have also provided water for other wildlife and inadvertently helped maintain biodiversity in this desert habitat.

This cat – who we now refer to as “Digger” would eventually be the twentieth male in our long-term study after our team collared him in spring 2023. A year earlier, in the spring and summer of 2022, we observed him digging at the site near Buren’s home on two occasions. He was also photographed drinking water from the dig site both times. This suggests that the digging was related to accessing subsurface water. 

“The observed digging behavior involved the snow leopard raising its front paws one by one. It positioned each paw on the ground and then pulled them back with sufficient force to displace the dirt beneath. This action likely aimed to create a depression for drinking or to uncover water sources hidden beneath the surface.” – Buren

Our team also observed other species drinking from the site after the snow leopard’s dig, including red fox, chukar and stone marten. Later in the year, when temperatures were subzero and the ground was mostly frozen, four other snow leopards were observed stopping at the watering hole site but not drinking.

Tost is part of the Gobi Desert and receives as little as 130mm of precipitation annually. Droughts are common, and extreme winter storms, called “dzuds,” can be catastrophic for local livestock, wildlife and people. Despite these potential extremes, we know from our long-term study that the area hosts a stable population of snow leopards.

While this cat’s behavior is fascinating, we do not yet know if it is a learned behavior of one individual or a common adaptation for snow leopards in arid landscapes. It also reveals new insights into the relationship between snow leopards and water in habitats without abundant water. Understanding the importance of water to snow leopard ecology is especially important as human activity (primarily livestock grazing and large-scale mining) increasingly puts pressure on the limited water resources in this area. Additionally, learning more about how snow leopards adapt to arid conditions will be crucial for protecting them and their habitats as we navigate a rapidly changing climate in the coming decades.

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Read the full paper here.

Photos: SLCF-Mongolia, SLT

Acknowledgments:

We thank the Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve administration in the South Gobi for their invaluable support and cooperation. We also acknowledge the community groups working to protect snow leopards in this landscape.

This long-term ecological study is in collaboration with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation in Mongolia and Snow Leopard Trust, with special thanks to the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, the Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for their support.

SLT would also like to acknowledge:

Acton Family Giving, Bioparc Zoo de Doue la Fontaine, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, Kolmarden Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, Nordens Ark, Play for Nature, Tierpark Berlin, The Big Cat Sanctuary/Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tulsa Zoo, Whitley Fund for Nature, Zoo Basel, Zoo Dresden, Zoo New England and the many incredible partners who have supported programs like our Long-term Ecological Study and research in Mongolia since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you.

Thank you to all the many incredible partners who have supported our Long-term Ecological Study and research in Mongolia since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you.