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.
The Ethical Conservation Alliance (ECA) is inspiring a growing collaborative movement towards ethical nature conservation across the world’s lands and oceans. Dedicated to changing the way conservation is practiced, this global alliance is establishing new standards to make conservation more equitable, just and effective.
Many of you know we use motion-activated cameras to study snow leopard populations, behavior, and habitat use. But those cameras, while crucial for research, only take low-resolution images. The beautiful photos you see in our calendars and newsletters are nearly always donated by talented wildlife photographers who support our mission to protect snow leopards. We asked one such photographer, Sascha Fonseca, about his recent expedition with our team in Kyrgyzstan.
When a fellow Zookeeper from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo reached out to us to make a donation in honor of her colleague’s retirement after 35 years, we knew we wanted to highlight Allison Barr’s story. It is an incredible testament to how inspiration breeds inspiration and exemplifies the ripple effect of what can happen when you share your passion and dedication with others.
“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.
The critically acclaimed Living with Snow Leopards series transports you to Asia’s high mountains to experience the reality of living with this endangered big cat in your own backyard. See firsthand how families in snow leopard range countries navigate the challenges of coexisting with snow leopards.
“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.
In October 2022, Snow Leopard Trust volunteer and dedicated supporter Linfang Yang had a striking idea about the possibility of using Virtual Reality (VR) as a camera trap training tool. Not only did she dream up an incredibly innovative concept, but she was persistent in bringing her immersive brainchild to life.
Members of our team recently visited Uganda with partners from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Bhutan as part of UNEP’s Vanishing Treasures programme. Yes, Uganda, where some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas live. You may wonder what connects snow leopards to mountain gorillas.
