The snow leopard is under threat of extinction. But a local grassroots organization in Mongolia is showing a possible path toward the future for this endangered cat.
Category: Community Conservation
How to effectively engage local communities for conservation? Become PARTNERS
To save endangered species, we need to work with the people who live alongside them. From over 20 years of experience in engaging with local communities, our team has developed a set of principles for successful partnerships.
To Protect Endangered Carnivores, We Must Also Protect Livestock
A conservation catch 22: Increasing the number wild prey animals is key for healthy snow leopard populations. But it doesn’t solve the problem of livestock predation – on the contrary.
A Herder by Trade, a Conservationist by Calling
Some of the best conservationists are found among the rural communities who live side by side with the world’s endangered species. Davaa, a Mongolian herder, is such a local champion. Selected by his neighbors and friends as a community ranger, he now helps encourage sustainable practices and fosters tolerance among the community for the elusive snow leopard.
Snow Leopard Comic Book Educates Kids in a Playful Way
Conservationists in Pakistan have created a comic book about snow leopards and the conflicts the cats can get into with humans. The book will help local kids understand the complex relationship between people and wildlife.
Protect Corrals, Protect Cats
When snow leopards attack livestock, conflicts with local communities are usually inevitable – and they don’t often end well for the cats! But many of these attacks can be prevented with a simple solution – predator-proof corrals and holding pens for sheep and goats!
Poachers Identified Thanks to Camera Trap
Our Kyrgyz partner community of Enilchek lost a conservation bonus they would have been due for 2015 because a young man from the village was seen on a camera trap photo guiding poachers into nearby the locally protected area. Now, the young man’s family has agreed to compensate their fellow community members for the lost bonus payment – and our team has started installing camera traps to catch more poachers in the act.
World Wildlife Day: Anti-Poaching Heroes Honored
Seven wildlife crime law enforcement officials in Kyrgyzstan have received a Citizen Ranger Wildlife Award for their courage in the fight against illegal hunting in the country’s snow leopard habitat in 2016. They were publicly honored in a ceremony in Bishkek on World Wildlife Day.
India: New Village Joins Livestock Insurance Program
The community of Hemiya joins our livestock insurance program, and agrees to set aside a grazing-free reserve for wildlife.
A Village Mourns A Snow Leopard
When a wild snow leopard died of old age near the hamlet of Kibber, the community came together to pay their respects to the cat. Our local field coordinator, Kalzang Gurmet, shares this heart-warming story from his home village.