The International Union for Conservation of Nature has altered the status of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) from “endangered” to “vulnerable” (http://doi.org/cd8d). The decision was based on the animal's estimated population, which in my view is unrealistic. This change in status could adversely affect conservation programmes, especially in developing countries with limited funds.

A report by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC recorded a minimum of 710 snow leopards poached in 2003–16, of which 259 were poached last year (see go.nature.com/2yox0fq). In my opinion, the actual number lost is likely to be much greater, because retaliatory killings by livestock owners in India, Nepal, China, Pakistan and Uzbekistan often go unreported (C. Mishra et al. in Snow Leopards 59–68; Elsevier, 2016). Also, the animals' scattered distribution and remote mountain habitat limit access by officials and make legislation harder to enforce.

Conservation funding favours endangered rather than vulnerable species, so establishing the exact population of snow leopards in each of the countries in its range is crucial for conservation efforts. This calls for camera traps and genetic studies to underpin modelling estimates that might otherwise be misleading (A. Aryal et al. J. Mammal. 95, 871–881; 2014).