This story was originally published in the October 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine. The people in this story agreed to be photographed on condition that their names be withheld.

It is just before noon and the cold has seeped through my multiple layers of warm clothing. The temperature is minus 15 C (not counting the wind-chill factor), and the altitude is 3,700 meters.

WASHINGTON— In response to a lawsuit by animal protection and conservation groups, today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally agreed to a June 2027 deadline to determine if leopards warrant ...