Bhutan’s snow leopard population increases by almost 40% in only six years

“With less than 3% of the range surveyed, there are serious knowledge gaps in the population status of snow leopards,” said Dechen Dorji, Senior Director of Asia Wildlife Conservation, WWF-US. “A 39.5% increase in Bhutan’s snow leopard population is remarkable and calls for the urgent need to scale the population assessment efforts across the range. These magnificent creatures deserve our continued vigilance and protection from poaching, habitat destruction, and conflict with people. Finding effective co-existence measures, between local communities and snow leopards, and mobilizing resources at scale must continue to be our top priorities.”

Although the news confirms Bhutan as a snow leopard stronghold and source population for neighboring range countries, the species is still listed as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is globally threatened by habitat degradation, prey depletion, conflicts with humans, and climate change. Snow leopards need continued protection and interventions to address these threats, which also affect the other wildlife in their habitat.

Learn more about WWF's work on snow leopards.