Snow leopards snow leopards can be found in most of the major mountain ranges of central asia, from afghanistan in the west to bhutan and china in the east and from northern pakistan and india in the south to russia in the north. across this wide area, snow leopards are usually solitary wanderers, covering enormous distances in search of prey. they feed on a wide range of animals, from large birds such as pheasants and snowcocks to small mammals such as marmots and hares. however, most prey consists of the different species of wild sheep and goats that also live in the steep mountain terrain. snow leopards have never been very common. herds of wild goats and sheep are widely scattered, and a single cat must have a large territory to enable it to find enough food over its lifetime. however, the populations of this big cat have been dwindling rapidly over the last century, and snow leopards are now considered in danger of extinction. there are a number of reasons for the decline in numbers. one is the snow leopard's incredible fur coat. even though it is illegal to hunt snow leopards, poaching is still a big problem across the snow leopard's range. a single snow leopard pelt can bring in the equivalent of three to six months' salary for local people, or it can be traded for a used jeep. a complete skeleton, used for traditional medicinal potions in china, may fetch up to $10,000. estimates of the number of remaining snow leopards vary, but there are probably no more than seven thousand snow leopards, and there may be as few as three thousand. another issue is the loss of wild prey. hunting has taken a toll on the wild sheep and goats of central asia, and many species are now endangered. this means that there is little prey available for the snow leopards, which must find alternative sources of food. one source of food that has been increasing—domestic sheep and goats—has become a third problem for the snow leopard. as more people intrude into the snow leopard's mountain home, they bring along their livestock. to a hungry snow leopard, a domestic goat is a perfectly good meal, easily found and easily killed. unfortunately, the shepherds who own the goats and sheep depend upon them for their livelihoods, so a marauding snow leopard is a threat that must be killed. which sentence about snow leopards is supported by the passage? snow leopards are killed by the government to protect wild sheep and goats. snow leopards are hunted by poachers for their fur and bones. snow leopards are killed by tourists for sport. snow leopards are hunted by nomads for food.