“Have you seen the snow leopard? No! Isn’t that wonderful?” That famous quote by renowned author and naturalist Peter Matthiessen invokes a mysticism about the snow leopard like no other. Once-in-lifetime tourist expeditions to snow leopard habitat in search of the elusive mountain ghost are becoming increasingly popular. But should you go?
One hundred fifty honey bee hives were successfully delivered to their new homes in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Relocating the bees was a challenge, as Benazir, our Project Assistant, shares, “The delivery process was so nerve-wracking because we were transporting live creatures over a long distance. The delivery kept getting postponed due to rainy weather. To add to the complexity, honey bee families are supposed to be delivered at night so they can orient themselves once they are settled. Due to the specific challenges and risks involved, we did not sleep for two nights, constantly checking on the location of the truck with the bee families.”
On World Wildlife Day, 16 rangers were awarded for their vital role in protecting Kyrgyzstan’s precious wildlife.
Follow our team on a trip to our Kyrgyz partner community of Ak Shiyrak, high up in the snow leopard habitat of the Central Tian Shan mountains.
Ten wildlife rangers from various protected areas and provinces of Kyrgyzstan were recognized and rewarded for outstanding service at the annual Ranger Rewards Ceremony in Bishkek on World Wildlife Day. The total reward sum was 115,000 Kyrgyz Som (ca. 1,650 US$). The ten honored rangers had successfully apprehended and brought to justice poachers or illegal …
Follow field researcher Sherry Young, Wildlife Ranger Urmat Sokolov and their horses Padiera and Caramel as they cross frozen rivers and climb precipitous slopes to install camera traps to monitor snow leopards and their prey in Kyrgyzstan’s Sarychat Ertash Reserve.
This fall, Snow Leopard Trust researchers have set up camera traps across the entire Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountain range to see how many snow leopards live in this habitat near the country’s capital, Bishkek. Research Associate Suraiya Luecke shares some of the team’s experiences from the field with us.
Two Stay Wild is a storytelling travel blog written by long-term budget travelers Laura and Matt. But this is not your usual travel blog – because Laura and Matt highlight environment conservation issues in the countries they visit. After a recent trip to Kyrgyzstan, they wrote an in-depth article about out work to save the snow leopard in this Central Asian nation.
Rare footage from the heart of Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan Mountains, a snow leopard conservation hotspot.
Eight local children attend first-ever Kyrgyz eco camp in Shamshy Wildlife Sanctuary, learning about nature and wildlife during a three-day adventure – and spotting an ibex the rangers had missed.
