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.
News & Stories
Two Mothers, Two Different Survival Strategies
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.
What 900,000 Years of Snow Leopard Ancestry Tells Us About Their Ability to Adapt
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.
Sweet Solutions: How Honeybees Are Helping Snow Leopards
High in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, an unlikely partnership is buzzing with possibility. Some local herding families are shifting their exclusive focus on livestock to include something sweeter—one that will make a difference for the endangered snow leopard. Beekeeping. What do honeybees have to do with snow leopards? Mountain communities have depended on grazing their …
The Heart of Conservation: Why One Woman Chose Snow Leopards as Her Legacy
Elizabeth Brill spends her days preserving intricate works of art and science as a Blaschka Glass Marine Invertebrate Preservation Specialist. But when that workday ends, her heart travels thousands of miles away to the high mountains of Asia, where snow leopards roam.
Pakistan’s First Nationwide Snow Leopard Count Reveals Eye-Opening Results
For decades, the snow leopard has roamed silently across Pakistan’s high peaks, rarely seen and never counted. For the first time, researchers at our partner organization in the country, Snow Leopard Foundation, have produced a robust, nationwide estimate of its population. The results are sobering: the two independent methods employed yielded estimates of 155 and 167 individuals, scattered across some of the world’s most inhospitable terrain.
Stitch by Stitch: How a Young Woman is Reshaping Conservation in Pakistan
In the remote Kuju Valley of Chitral, a young woman with a passion for education and social impact is transforming her community through her leadership and commitment to conservation. This success story comes from our partner organization in Pakistan, Snow Leopard Foundation.
Size Matters: Study Reveals Snow Leopards Hunt Like No Other Big Cat
Findings from a new study have upended long-held assumptions about snow leopard eating habits. The results? Bigger is (almost) always better.
Cracking the Code: Calculating Snow Leopard Survival
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.
A Wildlife Ranger Honors His Family Legacy
In honor of World Ranger Day, we are shining the spotlight on Munkhtenger Tumursukh, a wildlife ranger from Mongolia. He was recently lauded as the Best of the Best among rangers in snow leopard habitat for 2024 in a ceremony organized by Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation. He stood shoulder to shoulder with 19 other rangers hailing from across the country, all celebrated for their service and commitment to protecting the vast natural diversity of Mongolia.