A recent outbreak of PPR, a viral disease common among ruminants, has killed nearly a quarter of Mongolia’s population of saiga, an endangered antelope species. The disease has the potential to spread to key snow leopard prey species in the area as well.
Research cameras set up by local citizen-scientists near the source of the Mekong river have captured images of snow leopards and common leopards using the same habitat – it’s the first time these two cat species have been photographed in the same location.
Tsetsen, a male snow leopard wearing a GSP collar in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains as part of the Snow Leopard Trust’s long-term study of these cats, has gone offline as scheduled. The batteries on Tsetsen’s collar appear to have run out. The collar itself will drop off the cat in the next weeks.
Enjoy a selection of the most stunning snow leopard pictures captured by the Snow Leopard Trust’s camera traps in 2016.
The saga of Anu continues. This snow leopard mother living in Mongolia’s Tost mountains not only keeps surprising us – she also provides a powerful example of nature’s perseverance!
18 years ago, we established our first grazing-free village reserve for wild snow leopard prey in partnership with the community of Kibber, India. Today, the area’s population of bharal, a wild sheep that’s among the snow leopard’s preferred prey species, is about four times higher than it was before the reserve was set up. Nine more of these reserves have since been started elsewhere in India. It’s been an important conservation initiative, but also an educational experience.
The Snow Leopard Trust makes it a priority to help train the next generation of conservation leaders in snow leopard range countries. Mongolian student Tengis is one such potential future conservationist. He’s also an ardent soccer fan, which is reflected in the names he chose for ‘his’ snow leopards.
Meet Garav, the Mongolian Wildlife Ranger whose leadership helped shape ‘her’ National Park into one of her country’s finest and most effective conservation areas.
A research camera in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains captures amazing footage of a wild snow leopard mother and her three cubs!
Researcher Saloni Bhatia has examined the role of religion on people’s attitudes toward snow leopards and wolves. She didn’t find significant differences between Muslims’ and Buddhists’ tolerance for these predators. Overall, the conservation impact of religion seems to be limited – but not insignificant.
