The past several weeks have had many of our scientists on their toes. Just a few weeks after Zara ventured into the “badlands,” it was Aztai’s turn. After taking off from his home range on what seemed like one of his usual forays, he spent two days around a hillock right in the middle of …
News & Stories
Solar Power Comes to Camp
The end result of many months of dedicated efforts to plan and deliver a complete solar power (PV) system to our research camp in Mongolia came online last week! An array of solar panels with a capacity of 2.38 Kilowatts is now providing electricity for lighting and electrical outlets to the gers (yurts) that make …
There's Something in the Air: Woodland Park's Snow Leopards Enjoy their New Favorite Cologne
(Photo courtesy of Steve Tracy) Do snow leopards enjoy the smell of Calvin Klein cologne? Judging by the way the cats at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo have reacted to a CK-scented trap camera, the answer is a resounding “yes.” The Trust will make use of the “cologne technique” this fall in Mongolia, where we hope …
Communities Rebuilding After Harshest Winter in Decades
Partnerships with communities living in snow leopard habitat are key to our conservation efforts and this year our partners in Mongolia are facing unprecedented challenges due to the harshest winter in decades. Over the winter herders in Mongolia lost more than 8.14 million livestock according the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and light Industry. That is …
Update on Snow Leopard Friendly Vaccination Program in Pakistan
The Snow Leopard Friendly Vaccination Program was evaluated in 2008 and found mature enough for expansion. We surveyed the north and eastern part of Chitral District, North West Frontier Province (NWFP), particularly the valleys of Laspu, Yarkun, Mastuj and Torkho. They not only cover substantial snow leopard range, but also provide connections with Gilgit and …
News from Base Camp: Trap Cameras, Herder Interviews, and our Long-Term GPS Study
(Photo of Aztai by Stephen Sparrow, courtesy of SLT/Panthera) We’re in the third year of our long-term snow leopard study and it’s been a busy field season. In June, our crew installed 40 automatic camera traps in the mountains, at locations such as saddles or steep canyons that are used avidly by snow leopards. The …
Follow the Cats Update: Zaraa Enters the Badlands
(Map Courtesy of SLT/Panthera) We are happy to announce that the collars worn by Aztai, Khavar and Zaraa continue to work fabulously, uploading up to 80% of the scheduled locations; those of Shonkhor, Tsagaan, Saikhan and Devekh seem to be under-performing. The good news is that Orjan will be returning to the field shortly (he …
Protected Area Proposal in Mongolia Passes Township and District Levels
As we’ve been reporting, mining currently threatens landscapes used by herders and wildlife in the South Gobi, in particular the Tost Mountains surrounding our long-term study. In past entries, we told you how Bayara, our Mongolia Country Director, was leading community meetings in the Tost Township. These meetings resulted in a unified effort by the …
Video: A Snow Leopard Family in Zurich
Snow Leopard Trust supporter Emmanuel Keller sent us this wonderful video of Zoo Zurich’s snow leopard family. You can see Mother (Dshamilja), Father (Villy), and Daughter (two-month-old Kailash) spending some quality time together in their steep enclosure. The video was filmed by “MyFisherman01” on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyFisherman01
Our Most Recently Collared Female Snow Leopard Has Been Photographed!
Zaraa, the most recent addition to our long term collaring study, has finally been photographed! Her name, meaning “hedgehog” in Mongolian, is perfect for this small and fluffy young snow leopard. She is the second female to be collared since the start of this program, but the first female slipped her collar within days, making it impossible …