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demand from Chinese traders. Traders and middlemen from Ulaanbaatar or Dalanzadgad in
Ömnögovi province sometimes visit villages and herder communities in the search for Snow
Leopard skins that are being kept in the homes of herder families. The owner of a Snow
Leopard skeleton reported in April 2003 that he kept this at his house with the intention of
selling it to Chinese traders (B. Munkhtsog, in litt., 2003). In some instances, traders have also
placed specific orders for Snow Leopard skins with local hunters, who would then seek to kill
a Snow Leopard upon request (Munkhtsog, 2002). Occasionally, Snow Leopard skins are
reported to be advertised in local newspapers and, in March 2001, a person made a request via
a local radio station, expressing his interest in buying a Snow Leopard skin (Munkhtsog, 2002).
Based on data from the General Customs Department of Mongolia and other data collected by
International Snow Leopard Trust-Mongolia, significant numbers of Snow Leopard skins have
been confiscated in the 1990s (Table 6). However, it should be noted that the information
presented in Table 6 is likely to be incomplete, a result of inconsistent record keeping or
irregular reporting, and it can be assumed that
more Snow Leopard skins have been seized in
last ten years than Table 6 shows. Fifty-seven
of the Snow Leopard skins seized between
1993 and 1995 were intercepted at the Buyant-
Ukhaa International Airport in Ulaanbaatar, at
the Zamiin Uud check point at the Mongolian-
Chinese border, and at Altanbulag, a
checkpoint at the Russian-Mongolian border.
No information is available about how many
were seized at each location. There are also
records of illegal killings of Snow Leopards
apart from those already mentioned (following
conflict with herders). In 1998, a man illegally
killed a Snow Leopard in Uvs province. He
had his gun confiscated, was fined USD15 and
had to pay USD160 in compensation for the
killed animal. In 2002, two men were fined for
killing a Snow Leopard in Uvs province and
had to pay USD880 in compensation for the
killed animal (Munkhtsog, 2002). It is not
known if trade was the intended purpose of
hunting in these cases.
Table 6
Number of Snow Leopard skins
confiscated in Mongolia, 1993-2001,
excluding 1996, 1997 and 1999, for
which no information was available.
Although records of seizures and penalties for Snow Leopard killing and trade testify to
enforcement action by Mongolian authorities, there are reports of Snow Leopard skins, once
confiscated, being given to commercial businesses, for display. Confiscated skins were given,
for example, to the Chingisiin Urgoo Tourist Camp, situated near Ulaanbaatar, which had more
than 60 skins on display. Khand Chin Vangiin Urgoo Restaurant, in Ulaanbaatar, was reported
to have more than 10 Snow Leopard skins, allegedly obtained from the government
(Munkhtsog, 2002). While this was not necessarily illegal, it demonstrates a certain lack of
awareness that this may be a means of stimulating demand for the skins and hence illegal killing
of Snow Leopards. Until 2001, hats made of Snow Leopard skin were even openly offered for
Year
No. of confiscated
Snow Leopard skins
Until 1992 49
1993 15
1994 19
1995 25
1998 1
2000 3
2001 1
2002 3
Total 116
Source: General Customs Department of
Mongolia, 2002
FADING FOOTPRINTS: the killing and trade of Snow Leopards 33