When do snow leopards hunt their prey? When do they rest? While these questions may seem tangential to conservation, a better understanding of snow leopard activity patterns can help inform our conservation efforts to protect the species and prepare for any threats on the horizon. Read on to learn more about the days and nights in the life of a snow leopard.
Scientists from the Snow Leopard Trust and Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation have equipped three wild snow leopards in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains with GPS collars this spring. With these three cats joining the conservation organizations’ joint long-term study, a total of six of these elusive cats are currently being tracked.
The Snow Leopard Trust’s research team is currently tracking a record nine wild snow leopards in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains with GPS collars. Here’s a look at these nine cats and what we know about them.
Snow Leopards, Ibexes and Goats to be tracked simultaneously with GPS Collars in Mongolia
Most big cats are territorial, with males commonly using larger home ranges than females. But what is driving the spatial behavior of these cats? A new study published in the journal Ecosphere compares spatial data from snow leopards and pumas to better understand what is governing their territorial behavior. Two factors stand out: abundance of prey and access to potential mates. However, the way they work together is not what researchers expected.
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.
Data from camera traps and GPS collars show endangered snow leopards dispersing to distant mountain ranges across stretches of deserted steppe, swimming across streams and rivers considered impossible to cross, and freely passing country borders.
Researchers from the Snow Leopard Trust have been able to locate and examine a pair of wild snow leopard cubs in their den in Mongolia. The discovery will help experts better understand and ultimately protect the endangered cat.
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.
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!
