Camera Traps, DNA Help Scientists Count Kazakhstan’s Elusive Snow Leopards
Researchers identify individual snow leopards by matching their unique spot patterns in photographs, while a UNDP-backed project deployed 294 camera traps across Kazakhstan’s mountain habitats from 2018 to 2024.
Understanding Snow Leopards
Snow leopards are elusive creatures, blending into rocky slopes with their gray-white coats. They are most active during dawn and dusk, living alone and covering vast home ranges of up to hundreds of square kilometers.
Recognizing Unique Cats
Due to their elusive nature, counting snow leopards is a challenge. Scientists overcome this by recognizing their unique spot patterns. Ten photographs of the same cat with distinct spots can be matched to identify individual leopards without double-counting.
A Glimpse into Their World
A project supported by UNDP installed 294 camera traps in Kazakhstan's southern, southeastern, and eastern mountains, including the Tien Shan, Zhetysu Alatau, Altai, and Saur-Tarbagatai ranges, between 2018 and 2024. These traps offer a rare glimpse into the lives of these elusive animals.
In March 2021, UNDP shared footage of a snow leopard family in Zhambyl Region, including three cats captured on cameras in the Merke Forestry area.
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