Snow Leopard Trust
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| Founded | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Helen Elaine Freeman |
| Focus | Snow leopard conservation |
| Location | |
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Area served
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China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia & Pakistan |
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Members
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2500 |
| Slogan | Saving Snow Leopards for 28 years |
| Website | http://www.snowleopard.org |
The Snow Leopard Trust is the largest and oldest organization working solely to protect the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its habitat in 12 countries of Central Asia. The trust is a non-profit organization with its headquarters in Seattle, Washington. The present total population of snow leopards in the wild is estimated at between 3,920 and 6,390.
The trust was founded in 1981 by Helen Elaine Freeman (March 10, 1932 – September 20, 2007). Working as a volunteer at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, Freeman became fascinated with the snow leopards there and learned about their endangered plight. She later joined the staff of the zoo and was motivated to set up the trust to protect the snow leopard in the wild, and its habitat. She also began the trust’s philosophy of helping the people sharing the snow leopard’s habitat improve their standard of living in exchange for protecting the animal.
The trust performs scientific research projects, manages community-level conservation programs, and fosters global collaboration amongst snow leopard experts and other snow leopard support groups.
The organization raises money through donations, grants, fundraising events and sales of products on its website shop, and is supported by zoos and other conservation organizations. The Snow Leopard Trust is recognized as a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator, and is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA), World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), International Species Information System (ISIS) and Co-Op America.
Currently, the Snow Leopard Trust focuses its efforts in five snow leopard range countries: China, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan. In these countries, the trust employs and trains staff to carry out research, education, and conservation. In the seven other countries within the snow leopard range, the trust supports and collaborates with researchers and conservation organizations.
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