Snow leopard death in Chitral highlights growing threats to species: WWF-Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A snow leopard has recently died in Chitral, underscoring ongoing threats to the species, WWF-Pakistan said.

“The recent death of a snow leopard in Chitral is a stark reminder of how fragile this iconic species has become,” WWF-Pakistan said. “Every loss brings the snow leopard closer to extinction.”

"Habitat loss, climate change and human-wildlife conflict continue to threaten the animal’s survival," WWF-Pakistan said.

To help reduce conflict, WWF-Pakistan said it is using artificial intelligence-enabled camera systems to monitor snow leopard movements and provide early warnings to nearby communities.

The organization said the goal is to prevent encounters that can lead to retaliatory killings by addressing conflicts before they escalate.

Snow leopards are solitary and elusive animals that typically hunt at dawn and dusk, according to the WWF-Pakistan. They are stealthy predators capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight. Snow leopards’ preferred prey includes herbivores like blue sheep, Argali sheep, and ibex. However, in many areas, snow leopards also hunt livestock, which can lead to conflicts with herders.