Fast Facts:
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Panthera has quit the Long Term Ecological Study (LTES) on snow leopards
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The Snow Leopard Trust will continue the groundbreaking research without interruption
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We’re planning to expand the study further in 2013
As of January 1st, 2013, Panthera has left the field component of our Long Term Ecological Study (LTES) in Mongolia. The Snow Leopard Trust and Panthera will continue to work cooperatively on the data and samples that have been collected over these years and we will continue to share the data from the radio-collars that were fitted on cats in 2012.
The field work and further on-ground development of LTES will not be interrupted by these changes. The Snow Leopard Trust will move forward and we are excited to expand the groundbreaking research we’ve been doing for the past 4 years. Read about the 7 most amazing findings from the study here.
In 2013, we will continue with the main activities established in 2008-2012. Thanks to the generous support of the Cat Life Foundation, we’ll even get two extra GPS collars that field scientist Örjan Johansson will try to fit on new cats this spring.
In addition to the GPS tracking, we also plan to expand the study to include population genetics of snow leopards and camera-trapping in surrounding mountain chains. We will also expand the disease study initiated in 2012 with the ultimate goal of establishing a disease surveillance and monitoring system for snow leopards, their prey, and livestock across Asia. Other potential expansions of the study are radio-marking of ibex (to broaden the study to include ibex ecology and predator-prey interactions) and initiation of a study on movement ecology of herders and a study on grassland ecology. We see these potential expansions as areas that we like to develop more in coming years.
Great news that the LTES will expand in 2013, it is so important that the study will continue for many years to get hardfacts about the snowleopards so right decisions are made to protect them. Good luck!