[20 April 2025] Nepal's latest national snow leopard population has been estimated at 397 (95% CI: 331.11-475.60), with a mean density of 1.56 individuals per 100 km2.
During the study, population survey data of snow leopards were collected from 9 study regions across the Nepalese snow leopard habitat constituting 7 protected areas – Api Nampa Conservation Area, Shey-Phoksundo National Park, Annapurna Conservation Area, Manaslu Conservation Area, Langtang National Park, Gaurishankar Conservation Area and Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, and 2 outside protected areas – Humla-Limi valley and Eastern Dolpa.
Out of this NTNC led research contributions in 3 protected areas -- Annapurna Conservation Area, Manaslu Conservation Area, and Gaurishankar Conservation Area.
Under the lead of the Ministry of Forests and Environment's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation, this report presents a first comprehensive analysis of snow leopard abundance, density, and management strategies in Nepal’s snow leopard landscapes, providing the most robust population estimates to date and offering critical insights into conservation efforts.
As one of the contributing partners in this milestone undertaking, the report will be key to establish a reliable baseline population status of snow leopard in Nepal.
NTNC would like to thank all those involved in the process, especially our own colleagues, government and research partners, local communities, global collaborators, and advisors.
