Political and economic turmoil worldwide throughout the past twenty years has spelled certain doom for the endangered snow leopard. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the late 1980's, hundreds of snow leopards lost the support and protection from a centralized federal government. As each "state" in the former Soviet Union was given the authority to create their own laws concerning the protection of endangered species, the leopards faced an increased threat from poachers.

Russia is not the only country where the snow leopard faces threats from poachers. The snow leopard's range extends from the mountain ranges of Central Asia and northwestern China to Tibet and the Himalayas. They can also be found in the Khunjerab National Park in Pakistan and Taxkorgan National Reserve in China. Even though hunting is prohibited in much of this area, as well as: India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, this is not helping the leopards to survive. Part of the problem is that a lot of these countries are war torn and without a strong government to enforce these hunting laws, poachers can easily get in, kill the leopard, and sell the skin on the black market. The other problem is that local farmers view this species as a nuisance because of competition for domestic animals.

The snow leopard primarily eats wild sheep, boars, mice, deer, marmots, and other small mammals; however, when there is a scarcity of food, they have been known to go after domestic animals. This scarcity is caused by two things: one, population expansion into the snow leopard's territory, and two, poisoning of marmots causing snow leopards to find alternative food sources. A poll conducted in a Nepalese village showed that 95% of the villagers had a negative attitude towards snow leopards because of predation on domestic animals. Fifty two percent of those polled had replied that extermination of the leopards was the only way to reduce the loss of their animals, and 35% said they would like compensation from their local government if extermination failed.

This negative perception of this species by local farmers makes efforts to conserve this species' habitat and the leopards themselves difficult. Scientists believe that the snow leopard is an indicator species. By this, they mean that how the snow leopard is doing is an indicator to the general health of a specific area. Since the leopard is at the top of the food chain, if there is a healthy and abundant amount of snow leopards, there is most likely a healthy ecosystem as well. Unfortunately, there are only an estimated 3,500-7,000 snow leopards left in the entire world. There are 500 leopards in 150 zoos worldwide participating in the Species Survival Project and captive breeding programs.

So far, captive breeding programs for the leopard have proven successful, and part of this success is due to the fact that the leopard can have litters of up to five cubs every year. Mating season for the snow leopard occurs usually in December through March, and this is the only time snow leopards will pair up. Traditionally, the leopards are very solitary creatures, hunting and maintaining their own territories; however, during mating season, it is not uncommon for a male and female to hunt in the same territory. After mating has occurred, the gestation period is about 100 days, and the young are born in a rocky shelter lined with the mother's fur. The young are born blind, but can see after nine days. Three months after birth, the young will follow their mother while she hunts for food, and will be mostly dependent on her for the next year. According to scientific data, the snow leopards are sexually mature at two years of age, and in captivity can live up to 17-19 years; however, the longevity of wild leopards is unknown.

The snow leopard has been declared critically endangered by the IUCN, and is also declared a "protected" species in many countries it inhabits. Unfortunately, even with this "protected" status, they still face threats from poachers who hunt them primarily for their fur. Snow leopard fur ranges from light to smoky gray and is very thick. The fur is almost one inch long on the back of the leopard, two inches on the tail, and three inches on the belly. The leopards also have huge furry paws that function a bit like snow shoes. This fur is highly prized by poachers, and sold as coats on the black market.

Currently, the only thing being done to help save this species is captive breeding programs, and conservation programs to save their habitat. Environmentalists hope that with heightened awareness of the snow leopard's plight, and education programs targeted towards the local farmers, they can help save this species. So far, the future looks shaky for the survival of this species, but with the success of the captive breeding programs, there may still be hope left.