In the Altai Republic, the results are in from an extensive expedition that took place simultaneously across the northern, southern, and central parts of the Chikhacheva Ridge, sections of the Chuya Steppe, and the North-Chuya and Kuraisky Ridges from 5th to 15th June. Thanks to financial backing from the Interregional Association "Irbis," researchers were able to cover a vast area and investigate hard-to-reach snow leopard habitats that had been inaccessible for several years.

The expedition’s mission was to study the snow leopard for the purpose of its conservation.
The field work was conducted by volunteers from the "On the Trail of the Snow Leopard" expedition, alongside staff from the "Irbis" Association, the Sailugemsky National Park, and the Altai Nature Reserve.

“

The twentieth anniversary expedition of 'On the Trail of the Snow Leopard' took place on the Chikhacheva Ridge. Volunteers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Republic of Tatarstan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Udmurtia, Novosibirsk, Altai Krai, and the Altai Republic checked automatic cameras and discovered that during the winter, a snow leopard was captured on camera only once

stated Igor Pautov, Head of the "On the Trail of the Snow Leopard" expedition.

Across the board, expedition members noted the low numbers of the Siberian ibex—the snow leopard’s primary prey.

“

On the North-Chuya and Kuraisky Ridges, local herders also reported snow leopard attacks on their livestock. It is most likely that snow leopards are dispersing to these areas from the neighbouring South-Chuya Ridge

noted Alexey Kujlekov, a Research Fellow at the Sailugemsky National Park.

A lack of food, particularly in winter, is forcing the snow leopards to migrate from the Altai ridges into neighbouring Mongolia or the Republic of Tyva. On the Chikhacheva Ridge, brown bears are also frequently captured by camera traps—they are food competitors of the snow leopards, also preying on the marmots that form part of the snow leopard’s diet.
On all three ridges, specialists installed solar-powered camera traps, which will allow batteries to last longer and save on resources. On the Chikhacheva Ridge alone, participants covered 34 high-altitude routes at an average height of 3,000 metres above sea level, checking and installing 81 camera traps—an absolute record for the expedition.

Additionally, four remote systems with full-frame cameras were deployed in the area. It was with such a camera that one of the best-ever photographs of a snow leopard in the wild in Russia was captured last year.
Thanks to the support of the "Irbis" Association, expedition participants were equipped with modern gear, tents, generators, fuel, and all the necessary supplies for field work in the challenging high-mountain environment. Furthermore, herders whose livestock fall prey to snow leopards are receiving compensation under a joint programme run by the "Irbis" Association and the Sailugemsky National Park.