Snow Leopards are predators, which means they eat meat. They are heterotrophs, meaning they get their energy from something else and do not create it themselves. Their typical prey is Blue Sheep. They have also been known to feed on Argali Wild Sheep, Siberian Ibex, marmots, pikas, hares, Tibetan snowcock, and Chukor Partridge. As you can see, Snow Leopards are primarily responsible for keeping numerous populations of animals in check. If they were to disappear, there would be too much prey and not enough predators. The herbivore population will skyrocket, but it will not be able to stay that way. Why? There will not be enough plants to support all those animals! Herbivores of all kinds will start to starve to death. So not only will Snow Leopards going extinct be a problem for Snow Leopards themselves, but their death could cause the downfall of many other important organisms in our world. Snow Leopards have an important role in their ecosystem. Who will be able to fulfill that role if we let them go extinct?