Snow Leopard Habitat
The estimated size of the snow leopard’s distributional range is about 1.8 million km2, with the largest share in the Tibetan plateau of China, followed by Mongolia and India. There is, however, a great deal of uncertainty about the snow leopard’s current distribution, as there is about the size of the total snow leopard population, which is roughly estimated at between 4,000 and 6,500 individuals.
Some national estimates are very outdated and up-to-date estimates of area of occupancy and population size are urgently needed.
Estimated area inhabited and population size of snow leopards in the 12 range countries.
| Range Country | Estimated Area (km²) | Estimated Population | Year of Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 50,000 | 100—200 | 2003 |
| Bhutan | 15,000 | 100—200 | 1994 |
| China | 1,100,000 | 2,000—2,500 | 2003 |
| India | 75,000 | 200—600 | 1994 |
| Kazakhstan | 50,000 | 100—110 | 2001 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 105,000 | 150—500 | 2001 |
| Mongolia | 101,000 | 500—1,000 | 2000 |
| Nepal | 30,000 | 300—500 | 2009 |
| Pakistan | 80,000 | 200—420 | 2003 |
| Russia | 60,000 | 70—90 | 2012 |
| Tajikistan | 100,000 | 180—220 | 2003 |
| Uzbekistan | 10,000 | 20—50 | 2003 |
| Totals | 1,776,000 | 3,020-5,390 |