News about conservation around the world.
A new paper by Snow Leopard Trust scientists shows how dispersing young snow leopards can navigate and travel long distances in flat terrain in search of territories. It also reveals what triggers them to set out and how fences and linear infrastructure can disrupt their movements.
As part of our long-term efforts to track and better understand snow leopards and their prey, we are currently following four GPS-collared cats. Since 2009, we have tracked a total of 37 snow leopards in this protected area.
It’s no secret that the BBC Studios Natural History Unit produces extraordinary wildlife programming. Their latest endeavor, Planet Earth III, is no exception. And, as always, the behind-the-scenes stories about the challenges the film crews faced are as gripping as the series itself.
In 2013, under the leadership of the then-President of the Kyrgyz Republic, we helped create the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). Since then, the Snow Leopard Trust has continued to support the Secretariat of this intergovernmental cooperation alliance of Environment Ministers of all 12 snow leopard range countries. Recently, the incumbent President, Sadyr Zhaparov, visited snow leopard habitat with our staff and recorded a video appeal to the people of the world.
“We collared a new snow leopard yesterday. I’ve said those words many times, and it never gets old. We had just finished dinner and were enjoying the warmth of the fire when the alarm went off. We rushed to our trapping site and found ourselves in the presence of a big male cat. He explained in a very clear way what he thought of us, growling all the while until he fell asleep from the drugs.” – Senior Scientist Dr. Örjan Johansson.
“Learning about snow leopard behavior, including their hunting habitat and frequency, is invaluable. It allows us to have informed conversations with local people when trying to address conflict situations.” ~ Purevjav Lkhagvajav, Director, Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, Mongolia.
That quote is from the director of our Kyrgyzstan program, who recently traveled with students to one of our summer eco-camps to inspire a connection with nature and conservation. He shared a heartwarming story about two boys who came home with a newfound passion for wildlife.
Aibek Sergek uulu, the eco-education coordinator from our Kyrgyzstan Program, recently shared his harrowing experience traveling to set up research cameras in the Sarychat mountains during a snowstorm.
A rare falcon sighting in Mongolia’s Tost Tosonbumba Nature Reserve illustrates how protecting snow leopard habitat safeguards other wildlife as well. Once leased out for mining exploration and protected only after six years of effort by our team and the region’s local communities, this protected area is an important haven for many species beyond snow leopards.
Our researchers don’t go door-to-door (cave-to-cave?) counting snow leopards. Instead, we rely on dozens of well-placed cameras to help us estimate and monitor snow leopard populations.
