The snow leopard lives higher than almost any other big cat, crossing the steep, rocky slopes of Central Asia's mountains at elevations up to 18,000 feet. Thick fur, a long tail for balance, and wide paws that work like snowshoes make it suited to cold and thin air. It is rarely seen, which is part of why it took scientists so long to estimate how many remain.
The IUCN Red List lists the snow leopard as Vulnerable, with an estimated 4,000 to 6,500 left across twelve countries. Retaliatory killing by herders who lose livestock, poaching for pelts, and the warming of mountain habitat all press on the population. Community-led programs that compensate herders and build predator-proof corrals have shown that people and snow leopards can share the same valleys.
Snow leopards prey primarily on blue sheep (bharal) and Himalayan tahr, supplementing their diet with smaller animals such as marmots, hares, and domestic livestock when wild prey is scarce. This reliance on livestock brings them into direct conflict with herders across Central Asia, and retaliatory killing remains one of the species' most serious threats.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a large wild cat native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is the apex predator of high-altitude ecosystems and plays a key role in regulating prey populations across roughly 12 countries, from the Himalayas to the Russian Altai.
Snow leopards live in the rugged mountain ranges of Central and South Asia, including the Himalayas, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Tibetan Plateau, typically at elevations between 9,800 and 17,000 feet. Their range spans approximately 12 countries, with the largest populations found in China, Mongolia, and India, according to the Snow Leopard Trust.
Snow leopards have thick, pale gray to cream-colored fur patterned with dark rosettes and spots, which provide camouflage against rocky, snow-covered terrain. Their notably long, heavy tail, often nearly as long as their body, helps with balance on steep slopes and doubles as a warm wrap in extreme cold.
Snow leopards typically weigh between 49 and 121 pounds and measure roughly 3 to 4 feet in body length, making them smaller than most other big cats. Despite their size, they are capable of taking prey up to three times their own weight, including adult bharal and Himalayan tahr.
The snow leopard is currently classified as Vulnerable, not Endangered, on the IUCN Red List, following a status change in 2017. The global wild population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, according to the IUCN, with poaching, habitat loss, and retaliatory killing by herders continuing to drive decline across its range.
