The last full day in camp brings an inspiring conservation with a herder and a beautiful parting gift from a cat.
Category: Research
The Gobi Diaries, Part V: Hey Again, Anu
Our research team in the Tost Mountains meets an old friend again – and tries to capture a new one for the first time.
The Gobi Diaries, Part IV: Uncooperative Cats
Tost’s snow leopards prove to be as elusive as their reputation suggests. Halfway through collaring season, they’ve successfully evaded our carefully laid-out traps.
The Gobi Diaries, Part III: Following in the Cats’ Footsteps
After a week of intense preparations, a calmer routine settles over snow leopard research camp in Tost, Mongolia.
The Gobi Diaries, Part II: Setting Traps
Out research team in the Gobi is getting ready to collar snow leopards and ibex. Follow their adventures here.
Snow Leopard Named in Honor of Late Mongolian Researcher
In 2016, our talented and dedicated young colleague Sumbe Tomorsukh tragically passed away. To honor Sumbe’s legacy, we’ve named the newest wild snow leopard to be part of our study in Mongolia after him.
Shamshy: Cubs Caught on Camera
Researchers capture first-ever photos of snow leopard cubs in the Kyrgyz Ala-Too range at the Shamshy Wildlife Sanctuary. The images are a sign of hope for this threatened big cat.
Red List status of snow leopard: Data doesn’t support the IUCN’s decision.
In a commentary published in the top international journal SCIENCE on March 9th, 2018, two leading snow leopard researchers, Dr. Charudutt Mishra of the Snow Leopard Trust, and Dr. Som Ale of the University of Illinois at Chicago, challenge the scientific merit of the data and assumptions used by the IUCN in down listing snow leopards on the Red List.
Tracking Predator and Prey
Snow Leopards Trust researchers are planning to track both wild snow leopards and ibex, their primary prey species, with GPS technology this spring.
Where Do Snow Leopards Like to Hang Out?
Thanks to hourly GPS position uploads from tracking collars, researchers can reconstruct a day in the life of a wild snow leopard in unprecedented detail. The data shows what types of terrain these cats seek to rest, observe, and hunt prey.