Tashi lives high up in the Indian Himalayas, in a village called Rumtse. Like his father and grandfather before him, Tashi is a livestock herder in some of the highest mountains in the world.
He has no electricity, no running water. He built his house, by hand, from rocks collected on the mountainside. Inside his house, right next to where his family sleeps, he keeps his most valuable treasure—his livestock. For his family, goats are everything–food, milk, clothing, and even dung for the family fire.
There was a time when Tashi had a very negative view of snow leopards. “When you lose half your livestock in one night, it threatens your whole existence. A few years ago, I might have hunted down and killed any snow leopard that threatened my livestock”, he says.
But thanks to donors like you, Tashi doesn’t have to do that anymore.
In 2013, we helped Tashi and his village establish a livestock insurance program that gives herders compensation if they lose livestock to snow leopard attacks. Today, we’re working with Tashi’s community to continue to build and manage their insurance fund. This has given Tashi and his neighbors peace of mind—and peace with snow leopards.
Tashi has learned better herding practices that keep his livestock away from predators. And now, when he does happen to lose a goat to a snow leopard, his family livelihood stays intact. Tashi has agreed not to retaliate against snow leopards and his whole village supports snow leopard conservation.
Today, his community is helping us set aside non-grazing wildlife reserves, and run Nature Clubs and eco-camps in their local schools.
This spring, we’re asking to help us help more herders like Tashi. Together, we have a chance to reach so many more communities and protect more snow leopard habitat.
Tashi and his family will be helping to protect snow leopards for years to come. Their family has become part of our family—a family of people united for snow leopards. Our field staff spent years actively listening to Tashi and his community, and building a long, lasting relationship with them. There is deep mutual respect and trust, and from that trust grows sustainable, long-term programs.
Please, help Tashi and his community continue their snow leopard conservation programs!
The sobering truth is that up to 450 snow leopards are thought to be killed each year across their range—more than half of them by herders over livestock attacks.
But did you know, in the last 4 years, no snow leopards have been killed in communities where the Snow Leopard Trust is working? That’s what I like to call the ZERO Impact. When you help local communities thrive, your impact is ZERO – 0 snow leopards killed.
Right now, thanks to you, we’re working with communities covering roughly 10% of the world’s snow leopard habitat—and protecting an estimated 500 snow leopards.
Now imagine if you could help more herders like Tashi, more communities, and more snow leopards. There are many more families facing conflicts with snow leopards and asking for help.
We need your support to reach them, build long-lasting programs, and protect snow leopards year-in and year-out.
Please donate today. Any amount CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE:
- $25: Helps a family insure 10 livestock against snow leopard predation
- $50 Sends 1 child to Nature Club and eco-camp
- $100–Enables 1 family to join a livestock insurance program
- $500–Puts out cameras to monitor snow leopard populations
- $1000–Starts 1 Nature Club in a local school
Thank you for being a part of snow leopard conservation!