Snow Leopard: Tracking The

Tracking
the
Snow
Leopard
Because snow leopards usually hide from humans, photographer Steve Winter used camera traps to take this photo
and the one on the next page. The traps automatically took a number of photos whenever the animal came near.r.e.
1 “When a snow leopard stalks1 its prey among the mountain walls, it moves . . . softly,
slowly,” explains Indian biologist Raghunandan Singh Chundawat, who has studied
the animal for years. “If it knocks a stone loose, it will reach out a foot to stop it from
falling and making noise.” One might be moving right now, perfectly silent, maybe
5 close by. But where? And how many are left to see?
Best known for its spotted coat and long As a result of these pressures, the current
distinctive tail, the snow leopard is one of the snow leopard population is estimated at only
world’s most secretive animals. These elusive2 25 4,000 to 7,000, and some fear that the actual
cats can only be found high in the remote, number may already have dropped below
10 mountainous regions of central Asia. For this 3,500. The only way to reverse this trend
reason, and because they hunt primarily at and bring these cats back from near
night, they are very rarely seen. extinction, say conservationists, is to make
30 them more valuable alive than dead.
Snow leopards have been officially protected
since 1975, but enforcing this law has proven Because farming is difficult in Central Asia’s
15 difficult. Many continue to be killed for their cold, dry landscape, traditional cultures
fur and body parts, which are worth a depend mostly on livestock (mainly sheep
fortune on the black market.3 In recent years, and goats) to survive in these mountainous
though, conflict with local herders has also 35 regions. At night, when snow leopards
led to a number of snow leopard deaths. hunt, herders’ animals are in danger of snow
20 This is because the big cats kill the herders’ leopard attacks. Losing only a few animals
animals, and drag the bodies away to eat high can push a family into desperate poverty.
up in the mountains. “The wolf4 comes and kills, eats, and goes
40 somewhere else,” said one herder, “but
snow leopards are always around. They have
killed one or two animals many times . . .
Everybody wanted to finish this leopard.”
40 Unit 3 Animals in Danger
To address this problem, local religious
45 leaders have called for an end to snow
leopard killings, saying that these wild
animals have the right to exist peacefully.
They’ve also tried to convince people that
the leopards are quite rare and thus it is
50 important to protect them.
Financial incentives are also helping to slow
snow leopard killings. The organization
Snow Leopard Conservancy–India has
established Himalayan Homestays, a
55 program that sends visitors to the region to
Stanzin Pulit, a yak farmer, has to guard his
herders’ houses. For a clean room and bed, animals from snow leopard attack.
meals with the family, and an introduction
to their culture, visitors pay about ten U.S. 80 snow leopards and to encourage neighbors
dollars a night. Having guests once every two to do the same.
60 weeks through the tourist season provides the
herders with enough income to replace the The arrangement increases herders’ incomes
animals lost to snow leopards. In addition, by 10 to 15 percent and elevates the status
Homestays helps herders build protective of the women. If no one in the community
fences that keep out snow leopards. The 85 kills the protected animals over the course of
65 organization also conducts environmental a year, the program members are rewarded
classes at village schools and trains Homestays with a 20 percent bonus in addition to the
members as nature guides, available for hire. money they’ve already made. An independent
In exchange, the herders agree not to kill review in 2006 found no snow leopard killings
snow leopards. 90 in areas where SLE operates. Today the
organization continues to add
70 In Mongolia, a project called Snow Leopard more communities.
Enterprises (SLE) helps herder communities
earn extra money in exchange for their Projects like the Homestays program in India
promise to protect the endangered cat. and SLE’s business in Mongolia are doing
Women in Mongolian herder communities 95 well. Though they cover only a small part of
75 make a variety of products—yarn for making the snow leopard’s homeland, they make the
clothes, decorative floor rugs, and toys—using leopards more valuable to more people each
the wool from their herds. SLE buys these year, and in doing so, they help preserve this
items from herding families and sells them endangered animal.
abroad. Herders must agree to protect the If you stalk a person or animal, you follow them quietly in order to
1
catch or kill them.

2
Something that is elusive is difficult to find.
3
If something is bought or sold on the black market, it is bought or
sold illegally.
4
A wolf is a wild animal that looks like a large dog.
Snow leopards’ big eyes are so good in

low light that they are able to hunt in near
total darkness.
3B Cats in Crisis 41

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catch or kill them.

Snow leopards’ big eyes are so good in

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