The results of the annual All-Russian count of snow leopards in 2024 have been summed up.
The “census”, which took place with the support of the interregional association “Irbis”, was coordinated by the Sailyugemsky National Park.
As the association’s press service reported, the census results showed that there are 87 snow leopards in Russia. The most rare predators were counted in the Altai Republic – 54 individuals, including eight females and 18 kittens.
The presence of 15 snow leopards has been reliably confirmed in Tuva, 11 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and seven in Buryatia.
“Additionally, it should be noted the presence of tracks in the snow of 11 more individuals that were identified during censuses in Tuva,” the report says.
Let us remind you that in February and March, scientists, volunteers and specialists from four regions of the country – the Altai Republic, Tuva, Buryatia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory – conducted expeditions in places where snow leopards live. At this time, the breeding season of snow leopards begins, so they actively move and leave many traces, which helps to collect accurate information about their numbers.
The results of the count pleased the experts, since previously there were no more than 75 snow leopards in Russia.
To install camera traps, researchers made their way through hard-to-reach places. To do this, they used all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, horses and even helicopters. This year the weather conditions were particularly harsh. Due to deep snow and severe frosts, some of the camera traps could not be found, and some were out of order. However, the expedition members coped with the task and reliably counted the number of rare predators.
“We are pleased to note that this year ten more snow leopards have been recorded in the Altai Republic than last year. This suggests that protecting the territory, combating poaching, and working to restore the food supply of the snow leopard is yielding results,” emphasized Ali Uzdenov, chairman of the general meeting of the Irbis association.
