Illegal killing and trade

Snow leopards are protected by law in all range states and included in Appendix I of CITES, but retaliatory killing by livestock owners, poaching, and trade are still regarded as major threats to snow leopards. Four recent analyses have been conducted, and a Snow Leopard Crime Database compiled. These all indicate that snow leopard crime has declined substantially in most countries since 2002. This decline coincides with increased monitoring, intensified anti-poaching measures, enhanced law enforcement, and border customs and trade controls, as well as a significant expansion of conservation measures during the past 20 years. However, some of these factors may have driven illegal trade further underground and made it more difficult to detect. It is difficult to establish the actual level of poaching and trade, but there is no doubt that any illegal killing of snow leopards is a matter of serious concern. Six measures to further limit retaliatory killing and trade are recommended.