The hunter hunted

High up among the peaks of Central Asia, the “ghost of the mountains”, the snow leopard, has its home. Hardly anyone ever glimpses this animal: it leads a reclusive life and is a master of camouflage. It is also rare – there are only 4000 to 6400 snow leopards living in the wild today – and its habitat is shrinking. Ever larger herds of livestock are destroying pastures and displacing the snow leopard’s prey animals. Furthermore, the climate crisis is dramatically altering its home, forcing it to move to ever higher altitudes. Poachers – attracted by its magnificent pelt and its bones – are also making it harder for the snow leopard to survive.

Since 1999 NABU has been working to save the snow leopard in Central Asia. Our efforts to protect these big cats include an anti-poaching unit, environmental education centres, research and political lobbying. The fight to save the snow leopard can only be won if all twelve countries of distribution work together. So this big cat is also a symbol of transnational nature conservation. On 23 October 2013, all twelve countries of distribution agreed on a joint protection programme for the snow leopard. Since then this date has been celebrated worldwide as International Snow Leopard Day.