Ecovolunteer nature travel: help with snow leopard research in Kyrgyzstan. The elusive snow leopard with its typical grey-beige patterned skin and bushy tail, is one of the three most endangered big cats in the world. Only approx. 3350 snow leopards survive in the mountain wilderness of Central Asia and the Himalayas. Kyrgyzstan used to be home to the second largest population worldwide. Since the beginning of the 1990s, their numbers have declined significantly due to an increase in poaching activities. This is a result of a tremendous demand for furs and bones, the latter being used in traditional Chinese medicine as a substitute for tiger bones. A comprehensive conservation programme has been developed including environmental education and research and an anti-poaching team called Gruppa Bars. There is hardly any data available on the population status and dynamics as well as on the behaviour of snow leopards. In Kyrgyzstan no comprehensive population assessment of snow leopards or of its prey species have taken. You are welcome to participate in this project for population assessment research on snow leopards, wild ungulates and the other prey species of snow leopard and other carnivores existing within the home-ranges of the snow leopards. nabu, naturschutzbund, snow leopards, ounce, snowleopards, birga dexel, felids, felidae, panthera, issyk-kul biosphere reserve, kyrgyzstan, nature travel, ecotourism