Snow leopards are wild cats! These frosty felines with white fur live in some of the coldest spots across central and southern Asia. Scientists say that snow leopards play important roles in those environments. However, there is still a lot that wildlife experts don’t know about snow leopards. In recent years, scientists have worked to track exactly where the cats live and how many may still be out there. One of the latest kitty counts was recently carried out in the country of Nepal. Experts there that 397 snow leopards live in that Asian nation!
A group called the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) tracks animals around the world. The group determines how much danger each species is in. In 2016, the IUCN said that snow leopards were “vulnerable,” meaning they were not in quite as much danger as an animal that is , but their numbers can still drop if humans don’t help. Snow leopards still face many threats today, including hunters who kill the cats for their fur. Humans also kill other animals that snow leopards rely on for food and even contribute to .
As of 2016, the IUCN says that there are likely between 2,700 and 3,300 adult snow leopards left in the wild. However, some key questions still remain. How spread out are the cats? What are the most popular places for them to live? Beginning in 2015, government officials and wildlife experts in Nepal started taking a closer look.
Researchers collected information between 2015 and 2024. One important trick involved experts’ setting hidden cameras called camera traps in areas where the cats lived. The cameras would snap pictures of snow leopards as they passed by. Another trick involved studying samples of snow leopard scat — or poo! Experts took scat samples back to a lab, where scientists could figure out how many individual leopards were responsible for leaving behind the poo. Government officials officially revealed the new findings in a new report — The National Snow Leopard Population Report — on April 20, 2025.
Researchers at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) contributed to the report. Dechen Dorji, a wildlife expert and a leader of the group, spoke to News-O-Matic about the new report. Dorji explained that the final number of 397 cats was split between three areas of Nepal — the western, central, and eastern landscapes. The new report says that about 234 snow leopards live in the west, another 73 cats live in the east, and about 90 snow leopards live in the central area. The expert said that these new numbers will help “scientists and conservationists plan future research, protection, and monitoring efforts.”
The expert added that the findings provide a “critical .” More work needs to be done to better understand whether snow leopard in Nepal are increasing or decreasing, and how best to help the cats. However, Dorji is optimistic for the future. “The broader message,” Dorji told News-O-Matic, “is about the strong commitment from the government and the dedication of local communities to securing the species’ long-term survival.”
By Tyler Burdick
Updated May 14, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
