Then & Now: Looking back over 40 years of protecting snow leopards

Thank you for participating in our 40th Anniversary celebrations this year! We are grateful for the immeasurable support you have provided not only over the past twelve months, but also over the past 40 years as we continue to navigate our mission to protect snow leopards in the wild.

When we envisioned how we wanted to celebrate this milestone, we knew our goal was to bring as many people into the fold as possible: snow leopard champions from years past, current monthly donors, new enthusiasts and everyone in between. Our conservation work is strengthened by people taking an interest in the world around them – and over the past four decades, your interest and support has made so much possible that our Founder, Helen Freeman, would no doubt be proud of.

To showcase the possibilities you have transformed into reality, we have put together the following post documenting the immense changes between where we started as a conservation organization 40 years ago and where we are today. While it is impossible to quickly summarize all our collective accomplishments, this gives you a small glimpse of the strides we’ve made in protecting wild snow leopards through our collaborative partnerships.

As you read through, it is our hope that you feel the same pride as we do.

Thank you for being a part of our past, present and future.

BUILDING GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS TO PROTECT SNOW LEOPARDS:

THEN: Starting with a powerful vision, boundless passion and just a few supporters, Snow Leopard Trust founder, Helen Freeman took a leap of faith and set up a small organization to protect snow leopards in 1981.

NOW: Today, Snow Leopard Trust has nearly one million supporters across 52 countries. Significant progress has been made within all 12 snow leopard range countries working together with governments to form a global conservation strategy to invest in the protection of snow leopards.

COUNTING GHOST CATS TO IMPROVE POPULATION ESTIMATES:

THEN: In the early days of the Snow Leopard Trust, the limited technology available and the elusive nature of these cats made it very difficult to gather population data, especially images. We relied repeatedly on this single wild snow leopard image above which was the only one available to us.

NOW: Today, we’re using Artificial Intelligence to help sort up to half a million new camera trap images every year. These images are critical to our long-term goal to reach a more robust snow leopard population estimate. We recently completed reliable assessments of snow leopard numbers in two countries. These major milestones will help make conservation of snow leopards and their habitat a higher priority.

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN CONSERVATION:

THEN: In 1998, we partnered with a small group of local women in rural Mongolia to begin the Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) handicraft program, which generates additional income linking direct action to a conservation commitment. SLE greatly improved the livelihood, well-being, and social standing of women sharing snow leopard habitat. This innovative program helped engage communities in wider conservation efforts, fostering human-wildlife coexistence.

NOW: Today, over 400 women from 40 remote mountain communities are participating in conservation programs like SLE. We are committed to supporting women in conservation, like Snow Leopard Trust Conservation Scientist, Dr. Ranjini Murali, who was instrumental in helping initiate SLE in India and completed her PhD looking at the benefits that ecosystems provide to communities in snow leopard habitats.

BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE TO PROTECT WILDLIFE:

THEN: When we began our conservation work, herders used traditional corrals which were built to keep livestock in but not necessarily to keep predators out. This often led to mass livestock loss by predation, with devastating impacts on herders, their livelihood and ultimately, the cats.

NOW: Today, we work together with local communities to create improved corrals, which can prevent livestock loss, and decrease both the economic and emotional impacts on families. This leads to more open, tolerant attitudes towards snow leopards.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS:

THEN: Our conservation and education programs all started with a single educator. She began by helping us evaluate the challenges facing snow leopards and the communities sharing their mountain habitat.

NOW: Today, we have expanded our education efforts to four range countries, reaching over 700 children living in snow leopard habitats each year. Recently two-thirds of the students participating in our Kyrgyzstan eco-camp were girls! These programs help create conscious and responsible citizens, inspiring the next generation of nature conservationists to protect the snow leopard and its habitat.

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This year marks our 40th anniversary and we want to hear from you. We are collecting stories about how our supporters discovered our work or a particular experience or connection they have made through SLT. Add your own memory so we can document and preserve them for our supporters 40 years from now!

11 Comments

Mark Hirschman says:

December 27, 2021 at 4:28 pm

I am humbled and blessed to be a part of such a forward minded organization which has matured and developed into such an important part of the effort to protect Snow Leopards. Thank you all and everyone for your tireless efforts.

Donna says:

December 27, 2021 at 5:03 pm

Congratulations! Wishing you many more successful years until every snow leopard is safe in its environment.

Robert M Thomson says:

December 27, 2021 at 9:02 pm

Thank you, SLTF!

Col says:

December 27, 2021 at 10:41 pm

Wonderful work, so inspiring! Congratulations for this and much more to come

thornaudax says:

December 28, 2021 at 2:02 am

What a compliment to Helen Freeman’s tentative steps all these years ago to create an International Authotity on an endangered and mis-understood animal. Best wishes for many more successful years.

Deirdre says:

December 28, 2021 at 6:21 am

My Snow Leopard story began with another non-profit, but it did lead me here. Thank you Helen for your vision. Co-existing with predators is most important for our survival as a human species.

Kathy & John Krogmeier says:

December 28, 2021 at 8:12 am

Who could know Ms. Freeman’s dream could reach such heights! Congratulations! And thank you to all involved for your dedication, passion, hard work, and love for snow leopards!

Lesley Burvill Holmes says:

December 29, 2021 at 2:31 pm

As a supporter of the trust over the past 10 years, it was really lovely to look back over the early years. Wishing you continuing success in this important conservation work

Jeroo & Nimmi says:

January 1, 2022 at 6:37 am

Amazing amazing amazing progress !!! uniting for a beautiful cause like this can make such a huge impact…looking back at the 40 years is proof enough…! keep up the wonderful work!

RICHARD HOLKAR says:

January 1, 2022 at 11:30 am

so proud to be a miniscule part of this great effort. I sponsored a camera a few years ago.\
What about a program to sponsor enclosures to keep predators out/
Best for 2022
\Richard Holkar

lynxlynx2020outlookcom says:

January 3, 2022 at 9:03 pm

In 2021 I have celebrated the great progress for Snow Leopards by Snow Leopard Trust. I first became inspired by works of Peter Matthiessen. If Snow Leopards are thriving in 2061, every person who has played a role can know they participated in preserving one of the world’s greatest treasures.