2018 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 420-438
Nomadic people living in the Altai Mountains （mainly in Xovd province） created various rituals and folklore concerning the snow leopard. In this study, local oral histories, legends, and traditional ecological knowledge （TEK） narratives about snow leopards are defined as sources of cultural heritage created through centuries of unique “herder–snow leopard interaction” phenomena, which subjectively encourage locals to protect the snow leopards and the surrounding environment. The fieldwork was carried from July 19 to August 22, 2016, with structured interviews of 117 informants living in Mt. Jargalant, Mt. Bonbut, and Mt. Munkh-Khairkhan. Not only collecting scientific data for wildlife protection but also clarifying the social and cultural contexts surrounding snow leopards will contribute to revitalized, sustainable spaces for snow leopards and local herders to coexist. It will also offer new perspectives on the conservation ecology of rare large carnivores.
