News and Stories

At the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, we are committed to supporting global conservation efforts led by the very people who share their daily lives with the wildlife we care for. One such species is the snow leopard, represented here at the Zoo by 14-year-old Renji. Born at the Chatanooga Zoo in Tennessee, Renji has been with us since she was about a year old. Since then, she has inspired countless guests to learn about snow leopards, the challenges they face and why their conservation matters. 

Snow leopards are elusive big cats, adapted to life in the rugged high-altitude mountains of 12 Asian countries.  While their exact population is difficult to estimate, current figures suggest their population is trending downward, leading snow leopards to be listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN. The primary prey of the snow leopard are blue sheep and ibex, but as wild prey declines, snow leopards sometimes turn to domestic livestock leading to conflict with herders.

Human-wildlife conflict is one of the greatest threats to snow leopards, which is why we partner with organizations like the Snow Leopard Conservancy, an organization that is dedicated to saving snow leopards, while helping herders safeguard their livelihoods.   

What is the Snow Leopard Conservancy?

The Cincinnati Zoo is proud to have the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC) as one of our global conservation partners. This summer, Zoo staff voted to direct funds from our Round Up For Wildlife initiative to SLC. These funds will be put to use in SLC efforts to support coexistence among snow leopards, livestock, and people. This continued excitement for their work is a testament of both our Zoo’s love for snow leopards and the amazing work the SLC is doing.

In our partnership with SLC, the Zoo supports on-the-ground conservation work that supports human-wildlife coexistence through community driven efforts. These efforts include livestock predation prevention, veterinary education and care, community-based monitoring, and strengthening local institutions. Their approach puts people at the center –, ensuring conservation solutions that work for both humans and wildlife.

One Health–One Welfare

One of the key SLC programs that the Zoo directly supports is their Living with Snow Leopards initiative, which focuses on conservation through a coexistence lens that addresses human-wildlife conflict. This includes honoring Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and engaging community members as active partners in conservation.

In much of the snow leopard’s range, livestock herding is a centuries-old livelihood. This close relationship between people and their animals can create challenges: livestock are vulnerable to predation by snow leopards and can also transmit diseases to humans and wildlife. Limited veterinary access in remote mountain areas means these risks can be hard to manage, which led SLC to create One Health-One Welfare (OHOW) in partnership with International Veterinary Outreach, Animal Nepal, and Mountain Spirit in the Manang District of Annapurna Conservation Area region of Nepal.

OHOW trains para-veterinarians and animal clinic workers on identification and treatment of these transmissible diseases. Additionally, they share innovative livestock management practices that reduce the livestock’s susceptibility to disease and predation by the region’s apex predator: the snow leopard.

Healthy livestock means more secure livelihoods, fewer losses to predators, and reduced motivations for retaliatory killings of snow leopards. This benefits everyone: herders, wildlife, and the ecosystem they share.

Through our partnership with the Snow Leopard Conservancy and AZA SAFE, the Cincinnati Zoo is proud to help protect Renji’s wild relatives and ensure that these magnificent cats can thrive in the high mountains for generations to come.