The SLF Story

When we think of the world’s most majestic carnivores, we are confronted with two dominant reactions: fear and reverence. We often view carnivores as dangerous creatures that have a unique standing in the wild, they are at the top of the food chain but the truth is that carnivore populations are increasingly becoming vulnerable and are at the risk of extinction.

In fact, more than 75% of the thirty-one largest carnivore species are declining, and seventeen species now occupy less than half of their former ranges. Southeast Asia, Southern and East Africa, and the Amazon are among areas in which multiple large carnivore species are declining.

In ecosystems around the world, the decline of large predators such as lions, leopards, bears, and wolves are changing landscapes. Habitat loss, persecution by humans and loss of prey have combined to inflict great losses on these populations.

Losing carnivores sets a chain reaction of losing other flora and fauna in the ecosystem as well. Carnivores serve as good indicators of an ecosystem’s overall health. In environments where predators thrive, there is also a high abundance of prey. Similarly, where herbivorous prey are plentiful, you’ll find lush, green trees and plants flourishing.  Therefore, safeguarding large areas capable of supporting populations of apex predators such as bears, lions, leopards, and wolves can lead to the conservation of diverse species, including both animals and plants, as well as the overall health of the complex ecosystems they inhabit.

When human activity eliminates or decreases top predator numbers, their former prey tends to overpopulate their habitats, causing the dramatic decline of those ecosystems. Carnivores are in fact regulators of rich complex ecosystems around the world.  Human-carnivore conflicts remains poorly understood, resulting in the unwarranted and unjust decline of carnivores like the elusive snow leopard. The Snow Leopard Foundation is a leader in understanding the human-carnivore conflicts and protecting carnivore populations to allow fragile ecosystems to thrive and flourish.

Since its inception in 2008, the SLF has been dedicated to conserving snow leopards while enhancing the socio-economic conditions of communities living in fragile mountain ecosystems alongside these charismatic carnivores. SLF has been working with remote and impoverished mountain communities in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir with a focus on three thematic areas: science and research, awareness and education, and community-based conservation. Additionally, SLF is dedicated to fostering the peaceful coexistence of livestock owners and wildlife in regions with significant carnivore populations.