Snow Leopard Conservancy - Conservation Program

A Map of the Snow Leopard’s Range

This map shows the 12 or 13 countries of South and Central Asia where the rare, beautiful, and endangered snow leopard can be found: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and possibly also Myanmar (Burma). Snow leopard range spreads across 1.2 to 1.6 million km², comprised of mountainous rangelands at elevations of 3,000 to over 5000 m (10,000 – 17,000 feet) in the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, but as low as 600 m (2,000 feet) in Russia and Mongolia. This equals an area of 463,000 – 618,000 square miles, nearly equivalent in area to the nations of France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Snow leopards like steep, rugged terrain well broken by cliffs, ridges, gullies, and rocky outcrops. while in Mongolia and Tibet may inhabit relatively flat or rolling terrain if sufficient cover is present. A snow leopard’s home range varies from 12 to 39 km² (4.6 – 15 square miles) in productive habitat in Nepal to 500 km² or more (over 200 square miles) in Mongolia with its open terrain and lower ungulate density, Densities range from less than 0.1 to 10 or more individuals per 100 km² (about 39 square miles) but current knowledge is insufficient for generating a reliable range-wide population estimate. The cat’s habitat is among the least productive of the world’s rangelands due to low temperatures, high aridity and harsh climatic conditions.

Total numbers are estimated at 4,500-7,500. Snow leopards are protected in nearly all countries under national and international laws. They are listed in Appendix 1 of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1977), which sets strict regulations on export or import of animals or their body parts. Only,Tajikistan is not signatory to the CITES agreement.

Traditional pastoralism and agro-pastoralism are the predominant land uses and sources of local livelihood in snow leopard habitat, with seven range countries having over 25% of land area under permanent pasture, more than 50% of their human population involved in agro-pastoralism, more than 40% living below national poverty levels, and average per capita annual incomes of US$250-400. Although relatively few humans live in snow leopard habitat, their use of the land is pervasive, resulting in ever-increasing human-wildlife conflict even within protected areas.

Up to a third of the snow leopard’s range falls along international borders, some of which are politically sensitive, complicating trans-boundary conservation initiatives. In fact, there have been several wars over the last 50 years, along with low-intensity factional or international conflicts that continue today in countries like Afghanistan. See the country pages of this website for the Snow Leopard Conservancy’s program areas.

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