Threats To Snow Leopards

There are believed to be less than 7,000 snow leopards left in the wild. They are native to the Central Asian mountains and can be found in 12 countries across Asia, with the vast majority living in China.

Snow leopards are seeing their habitat slowly vanishing due to human expansion. Their prey base is decreasing because of this and therefore they are forced to feed on livestock, which can lead to retaliatory and preventative killings of these cats.

Poaching is a big threat to the snow leopards. They are killed for their body parts which are used in traditional Asian medicine and for their gorgeous coats, which go for big money on black markets.

Climate change poses the most serious long-term threat for this big cat. As temperatures rise, snow lines recede, forcing snow leopards further up the mountain, thus decreasing their available habitat and prey.