The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) range is found in 12 countries in the northern Asia (spanning the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan, Tian Shan, and Altai mountain ranges), though the animals are sparsely distributed. Mongolia hosts an about 20% of the estimated global snow leopard population of which 2/3 inhabits in the Mongolian part of Altai-Sayan Ecoregion.

Study on climate change to the snow leopard habitats showed that by year 2100, 39% of the current snow leopard habitat in the world is  vulnerable to loss under a high emissions climate scenario including Gobi and Khangai region of Mongolia, while Altai Sayan Ecoregion will continue to be an important habitat and last heaven for its survival. Snow leopards are declining across their range due to a wide range of threats including poaching and illegal trade, habitat loss due to overgrazing, depletion of prey species and conflict between snow leopard and human as well as climate change.