World Snow Leopard Day

Not much is known about the elusive snow leopard. Incredibly well camouflaged, and brilliantly agile within their mountain habitat, makes them very hard to spot or track. Monitoring them within their habitat is tricky to say the least.

Vulnerable on IUCN list

There may be as few as 4000 snow leopards in the wild. However, their exact number is not known due to it being so hard to track them.

The 23rd of October was World Snow Leopard Day. WWF took the opportunity to showcase how they are working alongside local partners to study and support the conservation of these majestic cats.

Their range spans across 12 countries, in central and south Asia. However, only a small proportion of their range has been studied. WWF India has been supporting a project in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Over 200 people have been involved in field studies. The hope is for the results to aid conservationists to understand the threats the leopards face and how we can better protect them.

Habitat under threat

Loss of habitat is one of the biggest known threats to snow leopards. The high Himalayas are warming at 3 times the global average, which is altering the habitat. That in turn is forcing the cats to move outside of their range as their natural prey is in decline. Being in contact with humans causes conflict and leads to poaching.

WWF is working alongside governments and the local communities to help protect the snow leopards. You too can help by adopting one of these beautiful animals. Learn more on how you can help by visiting our Adopt a Snow Leopard page.