Snow leopards have been a symbol of endangered species for years, and have made memorable appearances in the Planet Earth series and other nature documentaries, and a memorable non-appearance in Peter Matthiessen’s National Book Award–winning The Snow Leopard, about the efforts of biologist George Schaller. But the enigmatic cats are no longer quite as in trouble as they used to be.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) now lists the snow leopard as “vulnerable,” a cautious step up from “endangered.” They’re still at risk of extinction, the organization says, but conservation efforts appear to be slowing the decline of the secretive species.The roughly 4,000 mature adult snow leopards alive today are found in mountains ranges, such as the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush, across 12 Asian…
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