397 Snow Leopards in Nepal

April 29, 2025

397 Snow Leopards in Nepal

How many snow leopards are in Nepal? Nepal’s first national estimate of snow leopards shows a population of 397 individuals, based on studies from 2015 to 2024. However, Nepal covers 2% of the snow leopard habitat. It holds almost 10% of the global population, ranking as the fourth largest. This data aids the global Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards (PAWS) initiative for snow leopard population assessments.

Snow leopards, vital to the Himalayan ecosystem, inhabit Nepal’s high mountain regions, including protected areas like Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, and Langtang National Parks. Nepal is among the 12 countries hosting these elusive apex predators.

An expert committee reported a figure of 1.56 individuals per 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles). After assessing multiple studies carried out in different parts of the country over various periods.

The estimate, while significant, only covers 43% of Nepal’s potential snow leopard habitat, leaving key areas like Dhorpatan, Api-Nampa, and Langtang insufficiently surveyed.

In Nepal, researcher Rodney Jackson and team pioneered telemetry work in the late 1980s and early ’90s, estimating the snow leopard population to be around 150–300 in 1979. They later revised the number to 350–500 based on a habitat suitability model. Research and conservation began in Lantang National Park in 1982, with snow leopards first confirmed in the area in 2003.

Unlike tigers, snow leopards roam vast high-altitude landscapes, crossing political boundaries. This makes accurate monitoring difficult and requires estimates based on the best available data and science.

Snow Leopard tour in Manang, Nepal

Itinerary:

Day 01:	Drive from Kathmandu to Besi Sahar – 830 m
Day 02:	Drive from Besi Sahar to Chame – 2,725 m
Day 03:	Drive from Chame to Manang – 3,500 m (Rest Day)
Day 04 – 09:	Trek and track Snow Leopard in different locations
Day 10:	Drive back to Besi Sahar
Day 11:	Drive to Kathmandu