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Low Genetic Diversity in Snow Leopards
October 19 , 2025
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- A new study by Stanford University found that snow leopards have the lowest genetic diversity of any big cat, even lower than cheetahs.
- Researchers attribute the low genetic diversity to a historically small population size rather than recent inbreeding.
- Snow leopards show effective purging of harmful mutations, maintaining health despite low genetic variation.
- The species has significantly less harmful homozygous gene load compared to other Panthera species.
- The global wild population is estimated between 4,500 and 7,500 individuals across 12 Asian countries.
- In India, 718 snow leopards were estimated in a recent survey, with Ladakh hosting the highest number at 477.
- India holds the third-largest population of snow leopards globally, after China and Mongolia.
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