Determining whether a snow leopard population is thriving, stable or declining isn’t as simple as counting how many cats you see. Scientists must track the complete life cycle, from birth to death, to get the full picture. You need to know if enough cubs are surviving to replace the adults that die. This is one of the reasons we use GPS collars and camera traps to track individual snow leopards and their families over many years, gathering detailed data to make smart conservation decisions. Survival vs. Reproduction Balance Imagine you’re tracking a group of 20 adult snow leopards (10 males and 10 females) in the wild. To understand if this population is healthy, you need to look at two key numbers: How many die each year (death rate) How many new cubs survive to adulthood (birth rate) Let’s compare two different areas in a real-world example: Area A (Worse survival): 20% of cats die each year (4 out of 20) 80% survival rate Area B (Better survival): 10% of cats die each year (2 out of 20) 90% survival rate At first glance, Area A looks like it’s in trouble with twice as many deaths. But here’s the key question: Are enough snow leopards being born to replace the ones that die? The Reproduction Factor We currently do not know exactly how many surviving cubs a female snow leopard produces in a year. (Cubs typically stay with their mothers for two years.) But if each female snow leopard raises an average of 0.6 cubs per year that survive to independence, then: 10 females × 0.6 cubs = 6 new snow leopards per year The Math: Area A loses 4 cats but gains 6 = net gain of 2 cats Area B loses 2 cats but gains 6 = net gain of 4 cats Both populations are actually growing, even though Area A has a higher death rate. The Waiting Game There’s one important catch: snow leopards don’t start having their own cubs until they’re 3-4 years old. So there’s always a delay between when adults die and when the cubs can replace them by reproducing. The Hidden Danger: Sink vs. Source Populations Sometimes, a population can look stable on the surface but actually be in serious trouble. Imagine an area that consistently has 20 snow leopards year after year. This might seem healthy, but what if eight cats die annually while only four cubs survive to adulthood? The population may stay at 20 because four new snow leopards are moving in from other areas each year. Scientists call this a ‘sink population’ – it’s like a leaky bucket that needs constant refilling from somewhere else. Conversely, some areas produce more cubs than they lose adults, creating a ‘source population’ of surplus cats. Such source-sink systems help maintain larger overall populations and add to population stability. The problem is that sink populations are relatively unsustainable – if the source areas stop producing extra cats, the sink will quickly collapse. That’s why simply counting snow leopards isn’t enough; we need to understand whether each population is truly self-sustaining or secretly dependent on others. Why This Matters This research is vital for assessing species vulnerability. Mathematical models, used by organizations like the IUCN to create the ‘Red List’ that assigns protection status to species worldwide, need accurate data for these critical decisions. That’s why every collared snow leopard and every cub monitored matters for the species’ future. Check out this simplified version of one of four matriarchal lines documented in our long-term ecological study in Tost, Mongolia.  Sign up for our monthly E-News to get all the latest updates from the field delivered to your inbox. Photo credits: SLCF-Mongolia, SLF-Kyrgyzstan, Snow Leopard Trust and Kesang Chunit Acknowledgements: This long-term ecological study is in collaboration with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation in Mongolia and Snow Leopard Trust, with special thanks to the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, the Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for their support. We would also like to acknowledge: Acton Family Giving, Bioparc Zoo de Doue la Fontaine, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, John Ball Zoo, Kolmårdens Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, National Geographic Society, Nordens Ark, Parco Zoo Punta Verde, Play for Nature, Tierpark Berlin, The Big Cat Sanctuary/Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tulsa Zoo, Whitley Fund for Nature, Zoo Basel, Zoo Dresden, Zoo New England and the many incredible partners who have supported programs like our Long-term Ecological Study and research in Mongolia since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you. The post Cracking the Code: Calculating Snow Leopard Survival appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

AWI Funds Research to Alleviate Human-Wildlife Conflicts, Animal Suffering aalberg Thu, 08/21/2025 - 08:53 photo by W.L.Watson Photos August 21, 2025 Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) announced today the eight recipients of its Christine Stevens Wildlife Award who are developing humane solutions to human-wildlife conflicts and less intrusive methods to study wildlife.The award provides individual grants of up to $15,000 and is named in honor of AWI’s late founder and longtime president, who dedicated her life to reducing animal suffering both here and abroad. Stevens founded AWI in 1951 to end the cruel treatment of animals in experimental laboratories. Inevitably, her work expanded to take on other animal welfare causes, including protecting vulnerable species, reforming methods used to raise animals for food, banning steel-jaw leghold traps, ending commercial whaling, and much more.Since the award program’s launch in 2006, AWI has contributed over $1.2 million to support nearly 120 research projects in North America. This year, AWI received over 40 applications that proposed new, less invasive methods to study wildlife and novel approaches to humanely remedy human-wildlife conflicts—from evaluating the impact of light pollution on pollinators to determining how livestock pathogens affect bighorn sheep.“All too often, real or perceived threats to human safety or property have resulted in animals being ruthlessly eliminated,” said Susan Millward, AWI’s CEO and executive director. “Christine Stevens was an ardent champion of humane, nonlethal solutions to human-wildlife conflicts, and AWI continues to honor her legacy by supporting innovative research to find ‘win-win’ solutions, embrace coexistence, and prevent animal suffering.” The 2025 Christine Stevens Wildlife Award grant recipients are:Nate Denke, University of Washington, to use noninvasive bioacoustics monitoring and trail signage (with input from local tribes) to examine the impact of recreation on sensitive birds in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Dr. Lorenzo Fiori, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, to deploy drones to assess the nutritional health of bottlenose dolphins foraging among shrimp trawlers in Corpus Christi Bay. Rushil Kukreja, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, to test whether reducing nighttime light intensity in designated dark corridors in Virginia and Maryland enhances the activity of pollinators (e.g., honeybees, bumblebees) and plant reproductive rates.Dr. Maureen H. Murray, Lincoln Park Zoo, to evaluate the use of contraceptive food pellets as a nonlethal strategy to humanely reduce urban rat populations in the Chicago area.Dr. Nico(la) Ransome, National Whale Museum of Mexico/Murdoch University, to use passive acoustic monitoring, photo-identification, and noninvasive DNA collection to investigate the presence of beaked whales in the Islas Marias UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Mexico.Dr. Ronnie Serfa Juan, US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Kansas State University, to develop AI-driven, nonlethal deterrence techniques to protect birds, including Canada geese, great blue herons, and egrets, while reducing their impact on aquaculture operations. Dr. Logan Thomas, Kansas State University, to use camera-monitored hair snares to noninvasively collect samples from javelina to determine how they cope physiologically with human-wildlife conflicts and seasonal environmental stressors in South Texas.Jasmine Veitch, University of Calgary, to use genetic analysis of fecal samples from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to examine microbial transmission and pathogenic potential of livestock interactions.Click here for more information about the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award and the 2025 recipients. Media Contact Information Marjorie Fishman, Animal Welfare Institutemargie@awionline.org, (202) 446-2128 The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates and other important animal protection news.