11 Ways to Help Snow Leopards
- all proceeds benefit snow leopard conservation. Find out more here.
| The Snow Leopard is an elusive big cat. They aren’t easy to spot, as they blend in well with their surroundings. Locals call them the “mountain ghosts”. (Find out how India's first snow leopard census was carried out.) Snow leopards live in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tjiskistan, Russia and Uzbekistan so they have quite a range covering roughly 2 million square kilometres, half of which are in China. Snow Leopard conservation charities will be working closely with local communities to help local people co-exist with these magnificent big cats, and also to help them with ways to improve their living standards. This will help reduce the need for poaching and also reduce reliance on livestock. The Snow Leopard Trust reports that high up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, some local herding farmers are moving their exclusive focus on livestock to beekeeping! The problem is that overgrazing by livestock is degrading the landscape, which damages the habitat needed for snow leopards and their pray – and the livestock – to survive. So by doing beekeeping as a livelihood, families can diversify – and sell honey – which means there’s less pressure on the habitat to produce healthy grasslands for everyone. Find out more here. The 23rd October is World Snow Leopard Day! And there’s lots of news to report and ways to help snow leopards! There's an online auction with the Snow Leopard Trust The Snow Leopard Trust has an online auction to raise funds for snow leopard conservation - it ends on the 24th October, so go on the prowl and find out what you can bid on! The Snow Leopard Conservancy is on a mission to help snow leopards in the Dolpo region in Nepal The Snow Leopard Conservancy has a current campaign to raise £600,000 to help snow leopards in the Dolpo region in Nepal. Estimates suggest there are 90 snow leopards there, but in the last 8 years, 11 have been found dead, though the true number could be far higher. So the Snow Leopard Conservancy has partnered withh the crew and protagonists of the documentary Snow Leopard Sisters to protect the snow leopards in Dolpo and provide better opportunities for the local communities there. Enter their mission to partner with local community members such as Tshiring Lhamu Lama to save one of the last great snow leopard habitats, right in the Himalayas. Donations go to supporting programmes in Dolpo, under the guidance of Tshiring Lhamu Lama and her team there. The Snow Leopard Conservancy has a number of goals:
You can find out more and donate here. News on snow leopards...
In January 2025, the Global Times reported that the largest-scale snow leopard population survey has been published. The study covered 28.2% of snow leopard habitats and it revealed that within the approximately 360,000 square kilometers of the Sanjiangyuan area surveyed, the average population density of snow leopards is about 0.90 per 100 square kilometers. This would have an estimated population of around 1,002 individuals. Find out all about it here.
"For a long time locals of Spiti Valley viewed snow leopards as a dangerous threat. Local rangers are risking their lives to change that perception and show how important this elusive big cat is for the local ecosystem." How about a Research Camera Adoption 11 ways to help snow leopards. 1. Build a connection with snow leopards. Find out more about these magnificent big cats – their behaviour, biology, geography and so on. Watch footage of them (the Snow Leopard Trust has some amazing photos) to develop a bond with them, even if it is from the comfort of home. Get closer to them - it will increase your desire to help them 3. The 23rd October is International Snow Leopard Day (make a note in your calendar) but you can make every day a snow leopard day by checking for and sharing news, photos and videos you find to raise awareness of this stunning big cat. 4. Find out what snow leopard charities are doing to overcome the challenges facing snow leopards. Find out where they work, what they do, what their mission is, ways in which you can help, whether they have a newslettler you can sign up to. Follow them on social media. Some may have volunteer opportunities. For instance, you could look at
The Snow Leopard Network is a worldwide organization which facilitates the exchange of information and insights between individuals around the world with the aim of snow leopard conservation. Take a look at their Annual Report for 2023 which celebrates 20 years of the Snow Leopard Network. 5. Adopt a snow leopard to support snow leopard charities! The Snow Leopard Trust has e-adoptions so wherever you are in the world, you can adopt a snow leopard! This makes for a great gift for big cat lovers – your gift really is making a difference. You can even adopt Anu, a wild snow leopard! Find out more about the adoptions here
6. Watch for appeals the snow leopard charities make. They are often involved in Giving Tuesday or fundraisers around Christmas, so you could ask people to donate for you on your behalf instead of giving you an actual present. (This makes life much easier for them, too!) 7. You could do a Research Camera Adoption with the Snow Leopard Trust and directly support snow leopard conservation. This would be quite an amazing gift for a snow leopard lover, as it includes a Personalized Research Camera adoption certificate, thousands of exclusive photographs from a real research camera trap, immediately available to download and a full camera roll from Mongolia, India and Kyrgyzstan! Find out more here
9. Buy products from snow leopard conservation charities’ online shops. Spread the snow leopard wonder! You could also support Snow Leopard Enterprises. The idea is that herder women living in snow leopard habitat produce unique handicrafts, made with the natural resources they have. Snow Leopard Enterprises buys them and sells them online to snow leopard supporters worldwide! Families taking part can boost their income by up to 40% - and they pledge to keep snow leopards in their area safe. The Snow Leopard Trust says you could also sell some of its products at arts and crafts fairs to help raise funds and awareness. 10. See if you can to fundraise for a snow leopard charityhelp support their work. You could set up an online fundraiser or do a personal challenge for instance. 11. Get children involved too; they can learn about snow leopards with lots of snow leopard activities!
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