Mountainous Nepal Favourite Home To Elusive Snow Leopards

By Vijian Paramasivam

PHNOM PENH, June 17 (Bernama) -- In the snow-capped, steep terrains of the Himalayan mountains in Nepal, the world's most prized and endangered animal, the snow leopard, dwells in harmony with nature.

The tiny, landlocked Nepal, sandwiched between China and India, has transformed its mountainous landscape into a safe and sustainable habitat for these big cats, now totalling 397 in number.

bootstrap slideshow

The Himalayan nation is one of the few countries in the world where the population of charismatic snow leopards is stable, according to the latest report. 

The country’s National Trust for Nature Conservation released the “Status of Snow Leopard Population in Nepal 2025” report after conducting a comprehensive scientific study.

The study was conducted with technical and financial support from the World Wide Fund for Nature  (WWF) Nepal. 

Experts utilised high-tech tools, including camera traps and genetic analysis of scat samples, to track the species' population. 

Nepal now hosts about 10 per cent of the global snow leopard population, estimated at around 4,000 felines. 

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, highlighting the urgent need to protect the species. 

The National Trust for Nature Conservation Programme Manager, Dr Madhu Chetri, said the country’s success in protecting snow leopards was the result of local communities, government, and conservation organisations' collective efforts.

The Nepalese government has been working closely with remote families by providing funds to support them when they suffer livestock losses and by constructing predator-proof corrals. 

“Furthermore, the integration of traditional practices, such as non-violence and spiritual reverence for snow leopards, has contributed to their protection in Nepal's high mountain regions. 

“These combined efforts underscore the importance of collaborative and culturally sensitive approaches in the successful conservation of snow leopards in Nepal,” Madhu told Bernama from Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

The WWF describes snow leopards as having thick, white-grey fur with large black rosettes, which allows them to camouflage perfectly into the mountainous terrain, making them nearly invisible.

This earned them the nickname “ghost of the mountains”.

These big cats primarily inhabit three key conservation landscapes - the eastern, central, and western parts of Nepal. 

In the mountain terrains, their prey includes Argali wild sheep, blue sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas, and hares, according to WWF.

“They are special as they uniquely adapt to the harsh, high-altitude environments. Their specialised physical and behavioural traits not only enable survival in extreme conditions but also underscore their role as apex predators in the ecosystems,” said Madhu.

Snow leopards are exposed to a range of threats, like any other wildlife, around the world.

Poaching, retaliatory killings, and competition with other predators in the Himalayan region for habitat space and dwindling snow cover are common risks to their survival. 

A profound threat is climate change, which could lead to a 40 per cent decline in Himalayan snow leopard habitat, according to the report. 

“The existence of snow leopards is crucial to the health of high-altitude ecosystems. They play a crucial role in maintaining the herbivore population. By preying on them, they prevent overgrazing, which in turn protects vegetation and reduces soil erosion.

“This regulation supports plant diversity and overall health of alpine ecosystems, which benefits myriad other species and their habitat,” said Madhu.

-- BERNAMA