SNOW LEOPARD CONSERVANCY
Protecting the Ghost of the Moutain - one community at a time
Their Story
The snow leopard is one of the most endangered big cats on earth — and one of the least seen. Protecting it requires more than scientific research. It requires the trust, the knowledge, and the commitment of the mountain communities who share its habitat. That is exactly what the Snow Leopard Conservancy has been building for over two decades.
High in the remote Himalayas, where villages cling to cliffsides and yaks graze at 4,000 meters, the snow leopard knows as the Ghost of the mountain roams one of the last truly wild landscapes on earth.
Beautiful and elusive, it is also endangered. The Snow Leopard Conservancy was born from the conviction that saving this species meant first winning the trust of the people who live alongside it.
“The snow leopard can only survive if the people who share its habitat choose to protect it rather than fight it.”
In Nepal’s Mustang and Dolpo regions, their teams work hand in hand with local herders building predator-proof corrals, distributing solar-powered Foxlights to protect livestock at night, and running insurance programs so that no family has to choose between their livehood and the leopard. The result: communities that once feared the snow leopard now actively protect it.
Quick Facts
Year Founded
2000
Region
Mustang, Dolpo, Annapurna, Manang
Key Achievement
First global program to turn herding communities into active guardians of the snow leopard — recognized with the Rolex Award for Enterprise
Direct Impact
Predator-Proof Corrals
- •Built protective corrals for over 750 goats in the Mustang region, reducing retaliatory killings
Foxlight Program
- •Distributed 21 solar-powered Foxlights to local herders to protect livestock at night
Snow Leopard Scouts
- •Annual field training for youth in wildlife monitoring and conservation
Livestock Insurance
- •Compensation program for herders who lose livestock to snow leopard attacks, reducing economic pressure that drives retaliatory killings
Community Education
- •Conservation awareness campaigns in schools and villages across Mustang, Dolpo and Annapurna
Research & Tracking
- •Camera trapping and GPS monitoring to track snow leopard populations across Nepal
Support This Association
100% of extra donation goes directly to the association's field operation.
Donate Extra ♥
Need Help?
You have some questions or need an assistance?
Check out the latest articlesexplore the other journeys or chat with on of your expert.
