The Snow Leopard Trust has recently held a meeting with the Governor of the Gurvantes District in Mongolia’s South Gobi to discuss the mining permits that now cover the area. This district is home to our base camp and at least 22 snow leopards including a mother and her cubs. We learned that the Gurvantes government has tried to revoke mining licenses in the past, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Sometimes mining companies are able to seek financial reparations when permits are revoked, so the political hurdles we now face are significant. Image Courtesy of Steve Tracy.