Where Do Snow Leopards Live?
The snow leopard can be found in 12 countries in Central Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
All of these countries are important but China has as much as 60% of the leopard habitat. Mongolia is thought to have the second-largest habitat and population and that is where the Snow Leopard Trust study is located.
The big cats prefer cold dry climates with rocky terrain. Even though the map shows a vast amount of land, the habitat is similar in many of these countries.
Some of the cats tracked in the Snow Leopard Trust’s long-term study in Mongolia’s South Gobi desert have been known to travel over 25 miles in just one night. The big cat’s home ranges are up to 1,000 square kilometers.
This long-term study area in the South Gobi is over 8,000 square kilometers. The research study and conservation programs in five range countries cover a territory many times that size. Support for these programs directly help protect around 500 snow leopards from retaliation killing and poaching.
Research Camera Adoption!
Thanks to your support of Triple T Studios, The Tiniest Tiger community has purchased a remote sensor camera in Kyrgyzstan. These cameras are one of the most important research tools, giving scientists a lens into the secretive and elusive cats’ lives. We will soon be sharing a link to the photos taken by our camera so you can see candid images of snow leopards and their prey sharing in the researcher’s discoveries!
Super Hurrah!! How exciting!
Snow Leopard Facts
These cats are perfectly adapted to the cold, barren landscape of their high-altitude home, but human threats have created an uncertain future for the cats. Despite a range of over 2 million km2, scientists estimate there may only be between 3,920 and 6,390 individuals left in the wild.
Snow Leopard Facts
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- Solo traveller: the snow leopard is usually solitary and highly elusive
- Crepuscular: dawn and dusk are the cat’s most active times
- Living large: some cats have home ranges of up to 1,000 square kilometers
- Single moms: for about 18 months, females raise their cubs – all alone
- Cold and dry: the spotted cat primarily lives in arid, barren mountain areas
- Gentle: These cats are not known to be aggressive toward humans
- Carnivorous: the cat’s main prey are ibex, argali and blue sheep
Happy International Snow Leopard Day! Maybe you can help bring awareness to your friends and family in honor of these magnificent cats.