It is estimated that between 221 and 450 snow leopards are killed annually, averaging roughly four per week, with many of these deaths being retaliatory killings of mothers and adults by herders protecting livestock. These killings often occur in retaliation for predation on livestock (55% of cases), while others are targeted for the illegal fur trade or trapped in snares. Mothers are often targeted because the exhausted moms hunt easily accessible livestock to feed their kits.
