Snow leopards are endangered primarily due to a combination of habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. Habitat encroachment from human activities such as mining, infrastructure development, and agriculture reduces and fragments their natural territories, making it harder for them to survive and find mates. Poaching driven by demand for their fur and body parts used in traditional medicine remains a significant threat. Additionally, retaliation killings by herders protecting their livestock, combined with the effects of climate change that alter the delicate alpine ecosystem and reduce prey availability, further endanger snow leopards. These factors together contribute to their vulnerable status and declining population in the wild.
