The Pallas’s cat is a small cat species that lives throughout the steppes and mountain grasslands of Asia. Sometimes referred to as ‘the grumpiest cat in the world’ because of its looks, it’s one of the least studied wild cats.
Category: Research
The Secret Love Lives of Wild Snow Leopards
It’s that time of year again in the high mountains of Central Asia. No, not Valentine’s Day but something similar in the big cat world. It’s snow leopard mating season. And a bit more than three months later comes snow leopard cub season. The above recent video capture of collared female snow leopard, Presnel and her three cubs was a good opportunity to ask Senior Scientist Dr. Örjan Johansson and Assistant Director of Science Dr. Gustaf Samelius to share some of their insights into snow leopard mating habits and reproduction.
A Day (and Night) in the Life of a Snow Leopard
When do snow leopards hunt their prey? When do they rest? While these questions may seem tangential to conservation, a better understanding of snow leopard activity patterns can help inform our conservation efforts to protect the species and prepare for any threats on the horizon. Read on to learn more about the days and nights in the life of a snow leopard.
Human health and snow leopards: how are they related?
Snow leopard habitats are traditionally thought to have a low risk of disease prevalence and outbreaks. In a newly published paper, Snow Leopard Trust scientists and their collaborators draw attention to the increasing risk of disease outbreaks, which, unless managed proactively, can threaten wildlife as well as people.
Pallas’s Cats of the Gobi
Graduate student and researcher from Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation Otgontamir Chimed confirms the occurrence of the Pallas’s cat in Mongolia’s largest protected area. Yet, its range has shrunk in recent decades.
Ibex & Argali share the spotlight in Mongolia’s Tost Reserve
A recently published paper by SLT researcher Chagsaldulam Odonjavkhlan (Chagsaa) explores what allows similar herbivore species, a wild goat and a wild sheep, to coexist with little or no competition over resources. Her research examines the mechanisms of coexistence between two snow leopard prey species, the ibex and the argali.
Women and natural resources: how nature, gender and social divisions intersect
To conserve snow leopards and natural resources better, we must understand and identify the important roles that women can – and do – play in local societies. In a recently published paper, Snow Leopard Trust researchers examine the role of women and the nuanced intersection between gender and social divisions in the governance of irrigation water in the Spiti Valley – a critical area for snow leopard conservation.
Navigating the Ethics of Camera Trapping
A new paper authored by Snow Leopard Trust’s Charu Mishra and Koustubh Sharma discusses the ethics of camera trapping.
UPDATE: This paper recently received the Editor’s Choice from The Applied Ecologist! Congratulations to all the authors and contributors!
Calling all snow leopard conservationists!
The Snow Leopard Network (SLN), in collaboration with the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), Snow Leopard Trust and other partner organizations, brought together over 100 snow leopard researchers and practitioners from across the world in a new interactive training forum for snow leopard conservation.
New Research: Perceptions and Realities of Climate Change on Herder Practices
A better understanding of semi-nomadic herders’ perceptions towards climate change can lead to more successful mitigation efforts.