As a result of a project to study and conserve this rare species, carried out by the Irbis Association with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Nature in partnership with the Sailugemsky National Park, specialists obtained a detailed picture of the snow leopard population status on the South Chuysky Range in the mountains of the Altai. Large‑scale fieldwork in the extreme conditions of the high mountains made it possible to count the predators and even give a name to one of them.

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Thanks to camera‑trap data and the unique pattern of spots on the snow leopards' coats, we identified at least 11 individual snow leopards on the South Chuysky Range: 7 adults and 4 kittens from two litters. The core of the group is concentrated in the western and eastern parts of the range, whil e the central zone of the mountain ridge is used mainly as a transit corridor by the snow leopards. The estimated population density is 0.39 individuals per 100 sq. km, and the area of presumed snow leopard habitat on the South Chuysky Range covers approximately 2,800 sq. km

said Daria Petrova, Director of the Interregional Irbis Association and head of the project "In Search of the Ghost of the Mo untains: A Study of the Snow Leopard on the South Chuysky Range, Republic of Altai.

According to the specialists of the Sailugemsky National Park, the main threat to the well‑being of snow leopards on the South Chuysky Range is the low population of the Siberian ibex — the snow leopard 's primary prey. During the field expeditions, participants visually observed only 159 ibex individuals, and in some areas there were no traces of wild ungulates at all. The threat from shepherds, who may retaliate against the rare predator for attacks on livestock, also persists. In 2024, two cases of snow leopard attacks on large and small livestock were recorded here, and in 2025 there were already 10 attacks, with herders observing a female with kittens near their campsites — likely teaching her young to hunt.

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The South Chuysky Range remains a place where snow leopard attacks on livestock occur. We attribute this to the low number of ibex and the proximity of snow leopard habitats to shepherd camps. Given the high anthropogenic pressure on the range from uncontrolled tourism, we expect that threats to the rare predator may increase. If snow leopards do not have enough prey, they will continue to attack livestock or migrate away from the territory of the range

commented Denis Malikov, Director of the Sailugemsky National Park.

To reduce the level of conflict, the staff of the Sailugemsky National Park held a series of meetings with the local population in the areas where snow leopards live: they reminded people about the liability for poaching, the importance of reporting attacks, and the conservation of the snow leopard. The main tool for field snow leopard census was automatic cameras — camera traps. Despite the difficulties — some equipment was buried under snow, and 6 cameras failed due to memory cards being filled by false triggers — it was possible to register 56 snow leopard passes in front of the lenses. One of the adult snow leopards, which is regularly recorded in the area of the South Chuysky Range, was given the nickname "Dym" ("Smoke") based on the results of a contest held by the Irbis Association and the Presidential Foundation for Nature. The total length of hiking routes in the high m ountains during the expeditions was 189 kilometres: the specialists checked 25 previously installed cameras and set up 22 new photo‑recorders, which strengthened the monitoring network in the western and eastern parts of the range. To overcome hard‑to‑reach areas, the participants used specialised equipment: 2 snowmobiles, 2 swamp vehicles, and 3 cars. Some of the equipment was purchased as part of the nature conservation project. The main expedition to count the snow leopard population took place in March with a team of 8 specialists on the South Chuysky Range in the southeast of the region. The work was carried out at temperatures as low as −40°C, with wind gusts of up to 30 m/s, in conditions of challenging mountainous terrain. The expanded network of automatic cameras will be used by the specialists of the Sailugemsky National Park even after the project is completed. This will allow systematic monitoring of the group’s status and provide fresh data through regular observation.