Mountainous Nepal Favourite Home To Elusive Snow Leopards
Snow leopards live a solitary life in the high mountain terrains in Nepal. -- Photo credit: Madhu Chetri, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Nepal
Nepal's long-term conservation efforts helped to stablise the population snow leopards. -- Photo credit: Madhu Chetri, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Nepal
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.
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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.
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