Those words, spoken by a woman living in the heart of snow leopard country in Pakistan, capture something that has been unfolding across mountain communities for decades. Since Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) first launched in Mongolia in 1998, a growing number of people have found that protecting snow leopards and building a better life for their families are not competing goals. They are the same goal.
Deep in the northern highlands of Pakistan lies Laspur, a valley like no other. Nestled near Shandur, the world’s highest polo ground, this alpine region is known for its dramatic peaks, expansive green meadows, vibrant summer polo festivals, and the quiet presence of the snow leopard, often called the Ghost of the Mountain.
Hear how one woman’s transformation into a snow leopard advocate is influencing her entire community. This is Chuluuntsetseg (Chuka) Dashzeveg’s inspiring story, shared in a recent conversation with two of our team members, Dr. Justine Shanti Alexander and Pujii Lkhagvajav. Chuka lives in western Mongolia’s Khovd Province.
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.
Our Kyrgyz partner community of Enilchek lost a conservation bonus they would have been due for 2015 because a young man from the village was seen on a camera trap photo guiding poachers into nearby the locally protected area. Now, the young man’s family has agreed to compensate their fellow community members for the lost bonus payment – and our team has started installing camera traps to catch more poachers in the act.
How a women-led handicraft enterprise in Spiti is helping in the conservation of the elusive Snow Leopard.
It was in the thick of winter when Samat and his wife Shirin first started washing the coarse, rather dirty wool of their dozen or so sheep in front of their modest house in Ak-Shiyrak village, a community high up in the Kyrgyz Tian-Shan mountains. In the freezing cold, the pair were outside, elbow-deep in …
We’re excited to introduce a new line of super-cute pet products to our Snow Leopard Enterprise product family. These beautiful handicraft items are “Handmade by Snow Leopard Communities” – and any purchase you make directly helps protect these endangered cats. But what does that really mean? And how does it help? Find out; as we …
A design workshop in Kyrgyzstan brings fresh energy and ideas for Snow Leopard Enterprises, our successful handicraft-for-conservation program.
Kyrgyz team makes adventurous trip into the mountains to reward local communities for their role in keeping endangered snow leopards and prey species safe.
