China, the world’s most populous country, also contains the largest number of snow leopards of any country in the world.  A large country bordering on nearly all other snow leopard range states, and containing over half the world’s potential snow leopard habitat, China is a key crossroads for snow leopard conservation.  For the second half of the 20th Century, China's strict Communist dictatorship constrained the collection and, especially, the international interchange of scientific information.  China is the Snow Leopard Trust's newest program country, and the Trust is initially focusing its work in Xinjiang province, which may harbor one-third of China’s snow leopards. Click on the map below for a more detailed look at this snow leopard range country.

Quick Links:

• Fast Facts -Answers to common questions about this snow leopard range country
• Threats to Snow Leopards - Challenges that put China’s cats at risk
• Programs - How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in China to help

Fast Facts

Area: 9,596,960 sq km (slightly smaller than the U.S.)
Area of snow leopard habitat: 1,100,000 sq km
Highest point: Mount Everest (8,850 m) (world’s tallest peak)
Human population: 1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)
Snow leopard population: 2,000 – 5,000
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas: $227

Threats to Snow Leopards

Challenges that put China’s cats at risk

Poaching of snow leopards for trade in hides or bones

Each year in Xinjiang, an estimated 20 to 30 snow leopards are illegally killed for their hides or other body parts.  Snow leopard skins from China, the Kyrgyz Republic, and several other Central Asian countries are traded at a market in Kashgar, in the western part of the province.  Snow leopard bones and other body parts are in great demand on the black market for use in traditional Asian medicine.

Reduction of natural prey due to poaching and competition with livestock

As the human population in remote snow leopard areas increases, the snow leopard’s natural prey of wild sheep and goats are often hunted for meat, or may face competition for food with growing domestic herds.  When wild sheep and goat populations decline, snow leopards go hungry.

Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock depredation

When hungry snow leopards are unable to find enough of their wild prey to survive, they may turn to domestic livestock for food.  Although little information is available, it seems likely that nomadic herders who share share snow leopard habitat in Xinjiang occasionally kill snow leopards to protect their livestock.

Programs

How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in China to help

Research and monitoring

In collaboration with the Xinjiang Conservation Fund, a local conservation organization, and the U.S.-based Snow Leopard Conservancy, the Snow Leopard Trust began conducting studies in mid-2004 to determine the abundance of snow leopards and their prey species in Xinjiang.  The Trust is also conducting socioeconomic studies and interviews with local people to find out about human-snow leopard conflicts in the area.  This solid foundation of scientific data will enable the Trust to begin planning and carrying out conservation programs sometime in 2005.