Mongolia has the second largest population of the endangered  snow leopard in the world. However, there is not programme for saving the animal in Mongolia. The situation is one of grave concern: last winter was extremely severe, which has hit  the cat’s  food-chain seriously.   Subsequently, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mongolia Programme Office is to implement a project for protecting the snow leopards in three provinces of Mongolia. The project will cover the Darvi Mountains and Khasagt Mountain in Gobi-Altai Province, Turgen Mountain and Tsagaan Shuvuut Mountain in Uvs Province as well as Sair Mountain and the Khatuu Mountains in Bayan-Ulgii Province.

Under the project, the WWF experts in cooperation with the provincial offices will attempt to protect the snow leopards’ range and prey animal species, conduct a realistic population census, and implement measures to better manage the animal’s hunting area and proper pasture land.

There are 800-1,000 leopards in Mongolia – this accounts for 20 percent of the animal population worldwide.