China and Mongolia – the two countries that host both the majority of the world’s snow leopard habitat and over 80% of the world’s estimated snow leopard population – launched United for Snow Leopards, a landmark five-year joint initiative to ensure the survival of this iconic species. Led by WWF-China and WWF-Mongolia, United for Snow Leopards is the first-ever bilateral snow leopard conservation project between the two countries. This initiative will build on the work that has been done to date in both countries and will be carried out in partnership with government and private sector actors, and critically, with the local communities that live in and near snow leopard habitat. 

Over the past decades, WWF-China has worked closely with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and nature reserves to support scientific studies, regional surveys, and community-led conservation initiatives to accumulate robust experience in safeguarding this flagship species. Mongolia, which hosts the world’s second-largest snow leopard population, successfully completed its first national Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards (PAWS), which uses the best practices and protocols for large-scale snow leopard population estimations. Over the last seven-year project cycle, WWF-Mongolia has created a successful implementation model that other range countries are now adapting for their landscapes. 

With this shared ecological mission as a backdrop, United for Snow Leopards: Protecting the “Lord of the Mountains” in China and Mongolia was officially launched on 1 July 2025.  

1. Strengthening international conservation and collaboration: The project will leverage the comparative strengths of both countries to develop mechanisms for joint snow leopard conservation and habitat management, promoting shared learning and joint actions.
2. Supporting community-led conservation: Tailored to the unique contexts of Mongolia and China, the project will work with communities that live in the snow leopard’s range to co-create solutions based in science and local knowledge that promote sustainable coexistence between people and snow leopards.
3. Raising public awareness: The project will engage audiences through storytelling, environmental education and public events to build broad support for snow leopard conservation. Joint campaigns to share the story globally will invite people in both countries and beyond to contribute to protecting the “Lord of the Mountains."

Protecting snow leopards helps safeguard the integrity of key alpine ecosystems while ensuring the survival of a keystone species. With local communities, government and private sector partners, and the public, a new chapter of snow leopard conservation is unfolding. 

Together, we are United for Snow Leopards.

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WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF has been working on snow leopard conservation across China, Mongolia, India and Nepal, protecting habitats, working to reduce the illegal wildlife trade, and addressing human-leopard conflict to ensure long-term and sustainable conservation. To learn more about WWF in China and Mongolia, please visit www.wwfchina.org and mongolia.panda.org.

For more information, please contact Mia Signs: mia.signs@wwfgreatermekong.org