How Many Snow Leopards Are Left? Population and Threats

The current estimates

For decades, figures of 3,500–7,000 snow leopards were repeated, but they were largely educated guesses. In 2017 the 12 range countries launched PAWS (Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards) to replace guesses with systematic surveys. The Snow Leopard Trust, a leading conservation charity, currently gives a global estimate of about 3,920–6,390 wild snow leopards.

Some national surveys give a clearer picture:

China, with about 60% of the range, almost certainly holds the largest population, and Mongolia also has an important one. Russia and Uzbekistan hold only small numbers.

Why are snow leopards so hard to count?

Snow leopards are among the hardest large animals on Earth to survey. They live at low density, often just 0.1–2 animals per 100 km² (39 sq mi), in steep, remote mountains that are covered in snow for much of the year. They are mostly active at dawn and dusk, and their gray coat blends into rock.

Researchers rely on indirect methods. Camera traps placed along ridgelines photograph passing cats, and each animal can be recognized by its unique spot pattern. Genetic analysis of droppings collected in the field identifies individuals by their DNA. Statistical models then estimate how many animals live in the surveyed area. Even so, only a fraction of the snow leopard’s range has ever been surveyed properly, so every global figure carries wide uncertainty.

Vulnerable since 2017

The snow leopard was listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List for decades. In 2017 the IUCN moved it to Vulnerable. The assessment concluded that the global population of mature animals was below 10,000 and declining, but not at the faster rate needed to qualify as Endangered.

The change was controversial. Several snow leopard researchers argued that the population data were too patchy to justify it and warned that it might reduce attention to the cat’s plight. The IUCN stressed that Vulnerable still means a high risk of extinction in the wild, and that the downlisting did not mean the snow leopard was safe.

Poaching and illegal trade

Poaching is one of the most serious threats. Snow leopards are killed for their skins and for bones and other parts used in some traditional medicines. A 2016 report by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC estimated that roughly 220–450 snow leopards have been killed each year since 2008, and that more than half of those deaths were linked to conflict with herders rather than trade alone.

Many cats are caught in wire snares and traps set for other animals. The species is listed in CITES Appendix I, which bans international commercial trade, and killing snow leopards is illegal in every range country, but enforcement in remote mountains is difficult.

Conflict with herders

Across much of the range, people graze goats, sheep, yaks and horses on the same pastures where snow leopards hunt. When wild prey is scarce, the cats take livestock. A snow leopard that gets into a poorly built night corral can kill many animals at once, a severe loss for a herding family.

Herders sometimes respond by killing snow leopards. Overgrazing makes the problem worse, because livestock compete with wild blue sheep and ibex for grass, leaving fewer natural prey animals for the cats.

Climate change and development

The high mountains of Asia are warming faster than the global average. One study published in 2012 suggested that rising temperatures could push the tree line upward in the Himalayas and shrink alpine snow leopard habitat by up to about 30%. Mining, new roads, railways, fences and growing settlements also cut through habitat and make poaching easier.

How snow leopards are being protected

There are reasons for hope. In 2013 all 12 range countries signed the Bishkek Declaration and created the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), which aims to secure large, well-managed snow leopard landscapes.

Some of the most effective work happens in villages:

• Predator-proof corrals with wire-mesh roofs stop snow leopards from getting into livestock pens at night.
• Livestock insurance schemes, often run by the community, compensate herders for animals lost to predators.
• Conservation agreements reward communities with income or services in return for protecting wildlife and reporting poaching.
• Wildlife tourism and homestays in places such as Ladakh, Spiti and Mongolia’s mountains give local people a reason to value living snow leopards.

Recovery is possible when protection is strong. The Amur leopard, a different cat, has grown from a few dozen animals to more than 100 thanks to better protection. For more on the snow leopard itself, see our snow leopard profile.