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Eliza, SLE Participant, Kyrgyzstan http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/abdralieva
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Eliza has a beautiful smile and an open nature, despite the difficulties in her life. She is the mother of two children and is married to Usubakunov Bakyt. Bakyt graduated from Issyk-Kul University with a major in “tourism and environmental management”. Eliza began studies at a music college, but she did not complete her studies because she could not pay for tuition.
She and her husband were unable to find work in the city. They moved to Inilchek, where they found work caring for cattle. They had no experience in this, and it was very difficult for them to make a living. Eliza told us, “At that time, the whole village was without any jobs. You can imagine how very difficult our lives were. One of the difficulties is that Inilchek is situated in high altitude, and no potato or wheat grows in Ichilchek. To tell the truth, we hunted ibex for our food then.”
After Eliza attended the first meeting that the Snow Leopard Trust held in her village, she heard about the possibility of working with Snow Leopard Enterprises. “We didn’t believe it would help us,” she said. But Eliza began making handicrafts with the program nevertheless, and she participated with many other women in her community to form an NGO. “We tried it, and when we got the first payment, we saw the benefits.”
Today, after four years of working with the program, Eliza earns more money and is proud that she can provide for her family. Bakyt, her husband, has also became active in the program. It’s success has fostered interest in community programs of all kinds: Bakyt has founded a youth organization for the many young people who live in Inilchek, and he recently received a grant from Bashat SGP to build a youth sports center.
“We have different concerns now,” says Eliza. “Before, I worried about having no money. Now I worry about how we can stop poachers. We didn’t know about the snow leopard before, but now we do, and we see the importance.”
Return to Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Helping Impoverished Families http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/helpsfamilies
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Many families in remote snow leopard areas survive on the equivalent of just a few hundred US dollars each year. Lacking transportation and access to markets, many families are forced to sell their raw wool to traveling traders for just pennies per kilogram. What’s especially frustrating about this is that their raw wool – and the handicrafts they make with it – are in high demand throughout the world.
Once wool is processed and wound onto skeins, its value increases considerably. Whoever processes the wool makes most of the money from that wool. The Trust is working hard to give low-income herding families the opportunity to do just that, and earn the higher wage they deserve. Raw camel wool, for example, is sold at an average of $2.70 per kilo in Mongolia. If this wool is turned into yarn and wound onto skeins, it can be sold at about $13.90 per kilo.
By providing families with training, equipment, and a regular buyer, participants in our program often increase their household income by 25% and even up to 40%. The income from Snow Leopard Enterprises is paid in cash directly to the women who make the yarn and handicrafts. Most women use the money to purchase bags of rice and flour, sometimes salt and tea, and if possible, other food to supplement the meat and milk from their livestock. If they are able to earn more, they use it to send their children to school, and to buy medicines for their families.
Products are sent to the Snow Leopard Trust headquarters in the US, where supporters are able to purchase these amazing products. We market them to retail stores, sell them at special events, church events, and through the Snow Leopard Trust online store.
Learn more about how Snow Leopard Enterprises:
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Saving Endangered Species http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/savesendangeredspecies
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Every fall, participants in Snow Leopard Enterprises sign an
agreement committing to specific conservation actions, including a
pledge to stop the poaching of all snow leopards and their prey (ibex,
argali, red deer) in the local region. Snow leopards are sometimes
poached for their pelts and bones, but most often in these areas, they
are killed in retaliation for preying on domestic livestock (which can
cause great hardship for herding families). Snow Leopard Enterprises
helps save snow leopards because the economic benefits of the program
make it so local herding families no longer have to engage in poaching
or retaliatory killing in order to survive.
Program participants work to develop sustainable herding
practices, such as decreasing herd sizes, in order to allow more wild
sheep and goats to graze in the mountain habitats. When populations of their natural prey species are healthy, snow leopards are less likely to attack domestic livestock.
A cash bonus is available at the end of each year if a participating
community has complied with its Snow Leopard Enterprises agreement.
But if just one person violates the contract, the entire community
loses the bonus. This creates peer pressure and encourages the
community to work together to prevent poaching by outsiders.
In
an effort to deepen our mutual understanding and ensure long-term
partnerships, the Snow Leopard Trust includes a local educational
component, with ecological workshops, eco-camps, newsletters, posters
and other resources about snow leopards for participating villages.
These activities increase awareness among the local people of the value
and benefits of snow leopards and other wildlife species – and
hopefully build our future conservation leaders!
More than 350 families, and over 400 individuals, now participate in Snow Leopard Enterprises.
Learn more about how Snow Leopard Enterprises:
Return to Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Developing Handmade Products http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/handmadeproducts
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Developing Snow Leopard Enterprises
products requires balancing several different goals. One of these
goals is for designers to combine traditional materials, techniques,
and symbols with designs and colors that will appeal to the
international market. Another goal is for the products to illustrate
the conservation aspect of the program – the motif of snow leopard paw
prints on many items, for example – but still be simple to make.
Many
of the handicrafts currently being produced were developed at a
week-long design summit in the Kyrgyz Republic, in August, 2003. The
summit brought together artists and designers from the Kyrgyz Republic,
Mongolia, and Russia; marketing experts from the US; conservation
biologists; interpreters; and organizers from Mongolia, the Kyrgyz
Republic, and the US. The event resulted in an expanded Snow Leopard
Enterprises product line with lots of new motifs and colors added.
Snow
Leopard Trust staff conduct training workshops once or twice a year to
teach participants how to make and improve the products.
Learn more about how Snow Leopard Enterprises:
Return to the Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Mongolia Program http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/mongolia
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“As a single mother, I am so grateful for this program’s usefulness and support. The
women in my community all work together on this program, and being able
to help other women in my community helps me in my own life.” - Oyuntseren Oidov, local coordinator and participant in Mongolia (read her story)
The Snow Leopard Enterprises
program began in Mongolia in 1997. It was initially known as Irbis
Enterprises because “irbis” is the Mongolian word for “snow leopard”. Over
the last twelve years, the number of participants has grown to include
over 350 households. The program participants hail from 28 communities
in seven different provinces of the mountainous west and desert south
of the country. Newly participating communities, such as
those in South Gobi and Uvurkhangai, are currently being trained on how
to get started in the program. Long-established
participants, such as the Jargalant Orgil community in western
Mongolia, are currently participating in training in the use of new
spinning wheels that their additional income has afforded.
In
2007, equipment loans and micro-credit loan programs were made
available for Snow Leopard Enterprise participants in Mongolia. Before this program was established, women made their products with drop spindles, which can be tedious and difficult. We
have been able to provide families with equipment like spinning wheels,
drum carders, felting needles, knitting needles, and skills training to
improve their product quality and quantity if desired. The
women are therefore able to increase their family’s income faster, and
Snow Leopard Enterprises can keep a larger supply of goods on the
market to meet the growing demand, and ensure that public interest in
the artisan’s products stays high. As their income increases, these women are able to make a greater commitment to our shared conservation goals.
As Snow Leopard Enterprises
continues its track record of success in Mongolia, The Trust’s vital
conservation efforts in Mongolia grow stronger with the help of the
international scientific community. Together, we have worked to improve the methods used for tracking changes in snow leopard populations. We’re
currently launching a ten to fifteen year study with the help of both
local community members and researchers from around the world.
Learn how Snow Leopard Enterprises works in:
Return to the Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Pakistan Program http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/pakistan
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In 2003, Snow Leopard Enterprises expanded to the mountainous Chitral region of Pakistan. Kuju
Bala and Kuju Payeen, two villages separated by a large river, were the
first communities to join the program there, with 70 women
participating. In 2004, the Kuju communities began producing hand-crafted napkins. Using
cotton hand-spun in the local Chitrali market, women from these Kuju
villages use the local, traditional skill of embroidery to make their
products.
The
mountain that separates Kuju Payeen from the remote village of Parsan
is frequented by snow leopards, making the expansion of the program in
this area crucial. In 2007, 50 women in Parsan were trained on how to produce pullovers, socks, and gloves from the wool of their sheep. With the help of locally-based partner organizations, these garments are put on display in shops across Pakistan, and made to order for local villagers and residents.
Most recently, the Kuju communities have been provided with tomato seedlings and are being trained in home gardening by North South Seed (NSS), Chitral. The sale of tomatoes is providing the Kuju communities with supplemental income.
Learn how Snow Leopard Enterprises works in:
Return to the Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Chuluunbat, SLE Participant http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/chuluunbat-sle-participant
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Chuluunbat is 70 years old, and has been an SLE (Snow Leopard Enterprises) participant
since 2004. She lives in the South Gobi
near Nemegt Mountain with her
husband and grandson. Her hobby is to
spin yarn and knit clothing with both a traditional drop spindle and a crochet
needle that her husband made for her out of an aluminum spoon.
Chuluunbat
and her husband herded livestock for their communal unit during the Soviet Era. In 2004, a neighbor told her about the SLE
program. When she went to Soum, a nearby village where many people participate
in SLE, she saw women spinning beautiful camel yarn using a modern spinning
wheel. She wanted to take part in the program immediately.
Participating
in SLE, she learned many new things about craft-making from the workshops, and
she also liked the thought of saving “the spotty animals” and the pristine
areas that they inhabit. The economic
incentives also impressed her: Today her monthly income has increased from 80,000
tug ($69) to 150,000 tug ($130) through this program.
Chuluunbat
has become a great advocator of the SLE program. She is currently teaching two young herder
women how to process their raw wool and make handicrafts with it. Additionally,
through the new micro credit loan program, she acquired a modern spinning wheel,
which she is very proud of.
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Sainbileg, SLE Participant http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/sainbileg-sle-participant-1
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Sainbileg lives in the
Yamaat valley of western Mongolia,
and is a local coordinator of the SLE (Snow Leopard Enterprises) program. Her
husband, Erdenebaatar, works as a ranger in the area. They have four children. Their three oldest
children go to school at Uvs Aimag, 130 kilometers from their home.
When she started participating in
SLE, Sainbileg was excited to provided her family with additional income, but
she didn’t know how to process wool or make handicrafts. The trainings helped
her learn quickly, and she’s now a trainer for the area in which she lives. Sainbileg’s husband is also very helpful, working
to increase conservation awareness among the participants.
In the spring of 2004, Sainbileg was asked to provide wool processing training to a neighboring area. She and her husband traveled to the site by motorbike and provided two days of training for 37 women. Later, when sharing her impressions on how the training went, she said, "It wasn't that difficult, because the herder women were eager to learn how to process and produce handicrafts. I also had experience providing training and advice to the herders in my own region.This helped me feel more comfortable and figure out the best way to deliver training for these new, bigger groups."
Before joining SLE, Sainbileg and
Erdenebaatar witnessed extensive poaching of wild sheep and goats in their
community. When they joined the program,
they encouraged other community members to join as well. Since her community became involved in the
program, she and her husband have seen no poaching of wild sheep, goats, or
snow leopards.
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Kyrgyzstan Program http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/kyrgyzstan
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“Before, I worried about having no money. Now I worry about how we can stop poachers.” - Eliza Abdralieva, program participant in Kyrgyzstan (read her story)
In 1980, a Russian study estimated that the Kyrgyz Republic
had one of the densest snow leopard populations in the world. Today,
only 150-200 snow leopards remain there, and the Snow Leopard Trust has
been working hard to make sure that they do not go extinct in the
country.
In 2002, The Snow Leopard Trust
partnered with the Community and Business Forum, a Kyrgyz NGO, to bring
Snow Leopard Enterprises to the village of Ak-Shyirak.
Ak-Shyirak is a former Soviet tin-mining town near the Sarychat-Ertash
Wildlife Reserve, a remote park that was established to protect snow
leopards and their mountain ecosystem. Located high in the Tien Shan Mountains,
Ak-Shyirak is 200 km from the nearest village, and is cut off from the
outside world by harsh mountain snows for half the year. When the tin
mine closed down, many of the villagers turned to raising livestock,
and were forced to kill snow leopards to protect their herds.
Currently, about half of Ak-Shyirak's
households participate in Snow Leopard Enterprises. As a result of our
mutual efforts, residents of Ak-Shyirak can live in peace with snow
leopards without sacrificing their livelihood.
Inilchek (or
Engilchek), a remote village on the Sarychat-Ertash Reserve's southern
border, joined the program in 2004. The village is small, with only 23
households. Eight women participated the first year. Since that time,
the program has grown to achieve enormous successes – household incomes
in Inilchek have increased by more than 50%, and the poaching of snow
leopards in the Sarychat-Ertash Wildlife Reserve has halted.
In 2007, The Snow Leopard Trust began
partnering with Bashat, another local NGO, to bring Snow Leopard
Enterprises to Eki Naryn and Tash Bashat – two communities near the
Naryn State Reserve, an important snow leopard habitat southeast of
Bishkek. Because of our success in Ak-Shyirak and Inilchek, we are optimistic that Eki Naryn and Tash Bashat will be successes as well.
Learn about Snow Leopard Enterprises in:
Return to the Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Highlighted Projects http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/highlighted-projects
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The following are two current examples of our successful snow leopard conservation activities. To see more, go to Community-Based Conservation, and Science and Research.
Mongolia Long-Term Study
In 2008 we launched the largest long-tem snow leopard study ever, located in Mongolia's South Gobi. We are photographing snow leopards with remote sensor cameras and tracking snow leopard using GPS collars. The snow leopard is one of the least studied of the big cats. We are working to identify snow leopards, come up with accurate population estimates, see how they move, and measure how large a home range they need in order to survive. Aztai, Tsagaan, Shonkhor and Saikhan are snow leopards you can follow right now on our blog at blog.snowleopard.org.
$5 = 1 day of GPS satellite time for tracking snow leopards
$450 = is enough to purchase one digital remote sensor camera
Grazing Free Reserves in India
We are helping four communities in India set aside land that is free from grazing by domestic livestock and other forms of resource use. This enables the recovery of snow leopards and their prey. The largest and oldest reserve, in the Kibber community, has been extremely successful and highlights the good that can come from these reserves: today, the Kibber reserve is home to the largest population of blue sheep in the region (nearly 350), and 3-4 snow leopards have been observed using the reserve.
$100 = manages a wildlife reserve for snow leopards for one month
Your money goes far: the Snow Leopard Trust has Charity Navigator's highest rating for organizational efficiency.
See how we got this rating.
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Community-Based Conservation http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/communitybasedconservation-homepage
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Protecting snow leopards in partnership with the people who share their mountain environment
A
single principle underlies all of the Snow Leopard Trust's conservation
programs: we can't save the snow leopard without the support of the
local people where the cat lives.
Read more about the Snow Leopard Trust's community-based conservation programs in the following sections.
Turning raw wool into beautiful handicrafts makes herders into artisans and improves the lives of rural families.
Reducing livestock loss to disease helps local herders tolerate living with predators like snow leopards.
Many people in the mountain communities throughout snow leopard habitat
live on less than $1 (US) per day. To families living this close to the
edge of survival, protecting the environment and other species such as
the snow leopard may seem like an unaffordable luxury.
For
this reason, many of the Snow Leopard Trust's conservation programs are
designed to help people in snow leopard areas increase their household
income and raise their standard of living. As part of the
program, these families agree to help us protect the snow leopard and
the unique habitat they share.
In these communities, livestock
such as sheep, goats, and camels are the main source of income.
Many of the Trust's community-based conservation programs address this
vital resource, helping communities protect and increase the value of
their livestock herds.
Yet the solutions to snow leopard
protection also vary greatly from place to place. Through community
meetings, the Snow Leopard Trust and its local partner organizations
discuss the challenges that each community faces and the resources and
skills available in the community. Then, together with the community,
the Trust helps design conservation programs tailored to the needs and
concerns of each individual community.
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Program Countries http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/programcountries-homepage
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The snow leopard's range encompasses 12 mountainous Central Asian
Countries. The Snow Leopard Trust currently has programs in five of
them: China, India, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
These
are the priority areas for snow leopard conservation: together, these five
nations contain 75% of the world's population of wild snow leopards and
a similar proportion of snow leopard habitat. Click on the links
below to learn more about these important snow leopard countries.
Learn more about China, the country where the largest number of wild snow leopards can be found.
Read about India, a country of over 1 billion people and 15 official languages.
Learn about the Kyrgyz Republic, a rugged country that was once part of the Soviet Union.
Read about Mongolia, the ancestral home of Ghengis Khan.
Learn about Pakistan, a Muslim state created at independence from Great Britain in 1947.
Snow Leopard Trust program countries range from a small former Soviet
republic of just over 5 million people to the most populous nation on
earth, from the world's largest democracy to one of the last remaining
Communist countries.
Their people range from nomadic herders who move their tents to a
different part of the steppe every few months, to families who have
lived in the same stone village for centuries.
This
wide variety of histories, cultures, and economies poses unique
challenges for conservation and demands solutions that honor this
diversity.
Yet all these groups have something in common: for
centuries, they have shared their home with the snow leopard. With the
snow leopard's population dwindling, these communities have partnered
with Snow Leopard Trust staff and others to work toward a common goal:
the survival of this ancient and magnificent cat.
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Snow Leopard Trust Grants Program http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/copy_of_consresgrants
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Funding Research, Conservation, and Education projects across the snow leopard's range.
The Snow Leopard Trust Grants Program supports researchers, conservationists, and educators in snow leopard countries who are working on projects that meet the needs identified in the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy. Grants range from $1,000 and $8,000 (US), with the average grant being about $5,000; the awards have totaled $20,000-$35,000 per year. Nearly $90,000 was awarded during the first 3 years of the Grant program (2003 – 2005).
The program provides crucial support to people working in snow leopard countries, where resources are often scarce an even a modest grant can make a big difference. It targets resources to the local level, where they can have the most immediate effect. Grant recipients include range-country scientists and educators, international professionals working closely with or hosted by range-country counterparts, and graduate students of many nationalities.
The Snow Leopard Trust Grants Program began soon after the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy was completed in 2002; the first grants were made for 2003. By giving priority to projects that address questions or needs identified in the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, the program puts this international scientific consensus into action where snow leopards live.
Small Grant Pre-proposals (2-page concept papers) are accepted from 1 July through 1 August of each year. The pre-proposals are reviewed by outside experts and the Snow Leopard Trust’s Conservation Committee, and authors of promising projects are invited to submit a Full Proposal. The Conservation Committee then selects winning proposals and awards are announced in early November. If you are interested in applying for a Conservation and Research Grant, please contact us.
Current Projects
Assessing the Status of Snow Leopards in Langtang National Park
Country: Nepal
Principal Investigators: Dr. Randall C. Kyes, University of Washington; Dr. Mukesh K. Chalise, Nepal Biodiversity Research Society and Tribhuvan University
(Continuation of 2004 project)
Nepali and US scientists are teaming up to research snow leopards in this little studied national park in Nepal. In addition to assessing the presence and status of the cats, the team is also providing field training in research and conservation methods for park rangers from around the country. Read more about this project
Conservation Education
Country: Afghanistan
Principal Investigator: Ghulan Mohd Malikyar, Executive Director, Save the Environment – Afghanistan
Conflicts between snow leopards and livestock herders is a serious problem in Afghanistan. When coupled with the country’s unstable political situation and long history of armed conflict, snow leopards face extreme threats. A comprehensive educational effort will inform the public of the problem and its solutions. In this Muslim country conservation education is taking assistance from the Holy Quran and religious clerics to promote wildlife conservation through Islamic tenants. Read more about this project.
Evaluating Three Methods for Estimating Snow Leopard Population Size and Trends Under Various Environmental Conditions
Country: Kyrgyz Republic and China
Principal Investigators: Dr. Todd K. Fuller, Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Mr. Kyle P. McCarthy, graduate student, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Cryptic and rarely seen, snow leopards are one of the most difficult species to study, monitor and survey. Scientists now rely on snow leopard sign density (feces, scrapes, paw prints) as an indicator of cat numbers. But how accurate is it? In this study several new methods of estimating leopard numbers (photo-trap cameras, genetic fingerprinting, predator-prey modeling) will be compared. The results will help determine how well sign surveys predict leopard numbers and population trends. Read more about this project.
Feeding Ecology of Snow Leopards in Hemis National Park
Country: India
Principal Investigators: Ms. Trishna Dutta, Field Ecologist; Dr. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Associate Ecologist, Nature Conservation Foundation, and Associate Director, Snow Leopard Trust India Program
Snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas is becoming degraded and prey animals are in decline. To understand the long-term impacts this study is looking at the food habitats of the cats, and importantly, at what happens when natural prey decline. Does a lack of prey lead to a shift to livestock, and thereby to retaliatory killing of the cats by herders? Read more about this project.
Is There a Co-relation Between Blue Sheep Abundance and Livestock Depredation?
Country: Nepal
Principal Investigator: Kamal Thapa, King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation
In Nepal blue sheep are the primary snow leopard food source. When blue sheep decline snow leopards may turn more to livestock for sustenance. This study will look for a relationship between blue sheep numbers and livestock depredation by snow leopards, and then suggest a simple management plan for the conservation of snow leopards in the Annapurna Conservation Area. Read more about this project.
Past Projects:
2004
Assessing the Status of Snow Leopards in Langtang National Park
Country: Nepal
Principal Investigator: Dr. Randall C. Kyes, University of Washington; Dr. Mukesh K. Chalise, Nepal Biodiversity Research Society and Tribhuvan University
Project Report (164kb)
Have Snow Leopards Made a Comeback to the Everest Region?
Country: Nepal
Principal Investigator: Som Ale, Department of Biology Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
Project Report (696kb)
Improvement in Sign-Survey Technique and Use of Tracks for Population Monitoring of Snow Leopards
Country: India
Principal Investigator: Sandeep Sharma, Wildlife Institute of India, Yash Veer Bhatnagar, SLT-India, Rodney Jackson, Snow Leopard Conservancy, USA
Final Report Pending
2003
A Snow Leopard-Focused Public Awareness Programme
Country: Kyrgyz Republic
Principal Investigator: Dyikanova, Program Director, Bashat-Community and Business Forum
Project Report (187kb)
Assessing the Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard Population in Langtang National Park
Country: Nepal
Principal Investigator: Dr. Randall C. Kyes, University of Washington; Dr. Mukesh K. Chalise, Nepal Biodiversity Research Society and Tribhuvan University
Project Report (135kb)
Developing a National Action Plan for Conservation of the Snow Leopard
Country: Uzbekistan
Principal Investigator: Dr. Elena Kreuzberg-Mukhina, Mr. Alexander Esipov, Mr. Bakhtyar Aromov, Ms. Elena Bykova; Dr. Emilia Vashetk. Uzbek Institute of Zoology
Project Report (734kb)
Interactions Between Snow Leopard Prey and Livestock, Gya-Miru Wildlife Sanctuary, Ladakh
Country: India
Principal Investigator: Mr. Tsewang Namgail, Dr. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Wildlife Institute of India, and Dr. Joseph Fox, Tromso, Norway
Project Report (559kb)
Interactions Between Livestock and Ladakh Urial (Ovis vignei vignei)
Country: India
Principal Investigator: Ms. Bindu Raghavan, Dr. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Dr. Qamar Qureshi, Wildlife Institute of India
Project Report (3.2mb)
Snow Leopard Survey in Mankial Valley Swat, North West Frontier Province
Country: Pakistan
Principal Investigator: Mr. Ahmad Khan, NWFP Wildlife Department
Project Report (287kb)
Alternative Income Sources for Snow Leopard Friendly Communities
Country: Mongolia
Principal Investigator: A. Bayarajargal and B. Munkhtsog, Irbis Mongolia
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Snow Leopard Conservation in Pakistan http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/pakistan/pakistan-homepage
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Pakistan is a Muslim state created when
the Indian subcontinent was partitioned at independence from Great
Britain in 1947. From independence until the end of the 20th
century, Pakistan's strategy for economic development relied mainly on
resource extraction, leaving some areas ecologically damaged.
Military conflict and the disputed border with India create additional
conservation challenges in snow leopard areas. The Snow Leopard
Trust has recently begun working in the North West Frontier Province, a
remote region where subsistence herding is a primary economic
activity. Click on the map below for a more detailed look at this snow leopard range country.
Quick Links:
- Fast Facts - Answers to common questions about this snow leopard range country
- Threats to Snow Leopards - Challenges that put Pakistan’s cats at risk
- Programs - How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in Pakistan to help
Fast Facts
Area: 803, 940 sq km (nearly twice the size of California)
Area of snow leopard habitat: 80,000 sq km
Highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen), 8,611 m (world's second-tallest peak)
Human population: 159,196,336
Snow leopard population: 200-420
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas: $200-430
Threats to Snow Leopards
Challenges that put Pakistan’s cats at risk
Habitat degradation and fragmentation
Mining, logging, and industrial development degrade and fragment snow
leopard habitat. The cats are pushed into less suitable areas,
where the climate may be harsher, prey scarcer, or conflicts with
humans more likely to occur. All of these factors make it more
difficult for the cats to survive.
Reduction of natural prey due to illegal hunting
As a growing human population pushes further into remote areas, people
sometimes hunt for food the wild sheep and goats that are the snow
leopard's primary prey. Illegal trophy hunting for these animals’
prized horns can also be a lucrative source of extra income for people
in remote and often economically underdeveloped areas. As wild
sheep and goat populations decline, snow leopards go hungry.
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock depredation
When their wild prey is scarce, snow leopards sometimes turn to
domestic livestock for food. Herders, who lead a precarious
economic existence with most of their family wealth bound up in their
herds, may kill snow leopards in retaliation.
Programs
How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in Pakistan to help
Community-based conservation: Livestock vaccinaton program
The community-designed and -run livestock vaccination program helps
people in the northern village of Kuju keep their herds of sheep and
goats healthy. When losses to disease are minimized, herding
families are better able to tolerate occasional losses to predators,
and are less likely to kill snow leopards in retaliation.
Community-based conservation: Snow Leopard Enterprises
Pakistan is the newest country participating in the Snow Leopard
Enterprises program, which encourages snow leopard conservation while
helping increase the incomes of rural people through handicraft
production. Click here to shop for Snow Leopard Enterprises products.
Research and monitoring
The Snow Leopard Trust is conducting ongoing monitoring of snow leopard
and prey populations in North West Frontier Province, particularly in
areas near the Trust's program sites. The
Trust is also teaming up with the province's Wildlife Department to
conduct a large, 2 1/2-year study of large carnivores (including snow
leopards, bears, wolves, and jackals) in Chitral Gol National Park.
Snow Leopard Action Plan
The Trust participated in the development of the Strategic Plan for the
Conservation of Snow Leopards In Pakistan in 2001, and is working to
encourage its adoption as an official policy document by the Pakistani
government.
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Snow Leopard Conservation in the Kyrgyz Republic http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/kyrgyzrepublic/kyrgyzrepublic-homepage
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The Kyrgyz Republic is a small, mountainous country in the heart of
Central Asia. Annexed by Russia in 1864, the Kyrgyz Republic became an
independent state when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Many of the
Kyrgyz people subsist as nomadic cattle and sheep herders. However,
this lifestyle does not afford much economic security, especially in a
country that is still struggling to get to its feet after the collapse
of the Soviet Union. Economic pressures have increased conflicts
between people and wildlife, leading to more trouble for the snow
leopard. Click on the map below for a more detailed look at this
snow leopard range country.
Quick Links:
- Fast Facts - Answers to common questions
about this snow leopard range country
- Programs - How the Snow
Leopard Trust is working in the Kyrgyz Republic to help
- Country Profile - Further information
about the Kyrgyz Republic's environment, history, people, and
economy
Fast Facts
Area: 198,500 sq km (slightly smaller than the U.S. state of South Dakota)
Area of snow leopard habitat: 105,000 sq km
Highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pobeda Peak) 7,439 m
Human population: 5,081,429
Snow leopard population: 150 - 500
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas:
$120
Threats to Snow
Leopards
Challenges that put the Kyrgyz Republic's cats at risk
Poaching of snow leopards for trade in hides or bones
Kyrgyz herders in the regions where snow leopards live face a harsh
life with little economic stability. Selling the pelts and bones of
illegally hunted snow leopards on the black market can provide a
lucrative source of additional income.
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock
depredation
As a growing human population pushes further into snow leopard
territory, their livestock herds often overgraze wild grasslands,
leaving less food for the wild sheep and goats that are the snow
leopard's primary prey. People may also hunt wild sheep and goats
for meat. When their wild prey is scarce, snow leopards sometimes turn
to domestic livestock for food. Herders who have lost
livestock to snow leopards sometimes kill the offending cats in
retaliation.
Programs
How the International Snow Leopard Trust is working in the Kyrgyz
Republic to help
Community-based conservation: Snow Leopard Enterprises
The
Snow Leopard Enterprises program, which expanded to the Kyrgyz Republic in
2002 after
initial successes in Mongolia, encourages snow leopard conservation
while helping increase the incomes of rural people through handicraft
production. Two Kyrgyz villages are currently participating in the program. Click here to shop for Snow
Leopard Enterprises products.
Education
Snow Leopard Trust staff in the Kyrgyz Republic
develop educational materials and conduct community seminars on ecology
and nature conservation. Children from various villages are given the
chance to attend an annual educational eco-camp focusing on snow
leopard ecology and conservation.
Research and monitoring
The Snow Leopard Trust's ongoing research and monitoring efforts in the Kyrgyz Republic include a recent study comparing trap cameras
and several other methods for estimating snow leopard population sizes,
which could help researchers working throughout the cat's range.
Extensive studies of snow leopard and prey population abundance have
been carried out near the Sary Chat Ertash wildlife reserve and other
protected areas. The Trust is also working with the
environmentally-minded managers of the Kumtor Gold Mine to help them
understand the ecological effects of the mine.
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Programs http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/programs-homepage
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With programs and staff in five snow leopard range countries, and
connections with researchers and conservation organizations around the
world, the Snow Leopard Trust is a leader in the effort to secure
the future of the snow leopard.
Protecting snow leopards in
partnership with the people who share their mountain
environment.
Learn more about the five Central Asian countries where the Trust works.
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Sainbileg, SLE Participant, Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/sainbileg-sle-participant
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Sainbileg lives in the Yamaat valley of western Mongolia, and is a local coordinator of the Snow Leopard Enterprises program. Her husband, Erdenebaatar, works as a ranger in the area. They have four children. Their three oldest children go to school at Uvs Aimag, 130 kilometers from their home.
When she started participating in SLE, Sainbileg was excited to provide her family with additional income, but she didn’t know how to process wool or make handicrafts. The trainings helped her learn quickly, and she’s now a trainer for the area in which she lives. Sainbileg’s husband is also very helpful, working to increase conservation awareness among the participants.
In the spring of 2004, Sainbileg was asked to provide wool processing training to a neighboring area. She and and her husband traveled to the site by motorbike, and provided two days of training for 37 women. Later, when sharing her impressions on how the training went, she said, "It wasn’t that difficult, because the herder women were eager to learn how to process and produce handicrafts. I also had experience providing training and advice to the herders in my own region. This helped me feel more comfortable, and I was able to see the best way to train these new, bigger groups."
Before joining SLE, Sainbileg and Erdenebaatar witnessed extensive poaching of wild sheep and goats in their community. When they joined the program, they encouraged other community members to join as well. Since her community became involved in the program, she and her husband have seen no poaching of wild sheep, goats, or snow leopards.
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Chuluunbat, SLE Participant, Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/chuluunbat-b-sle-participant
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Chuluunbat is 70 years old, and has been a Snow Leopard Enterprises participant since 2004. She lives in the South Gobi near Nemegt Mountain with her husband and grandson. Her hobby is to spin yarn and knit clothing with both a traditional drop spindle and a crochet needle that her husband made for her out of an aluminum spoon.
Chuluunbat and her husband herded livestock for their communal unit during the Soviet era. In 2004, a neighbor told her about the SLE program. When she went to Soum, a nearby village where many people participated in SLE, she saw women spinning beautiful camel yarn using a modern spinning wheel. She wanted to take part in the program immediately.
Participating in SLE, she learned many new things about craft-making from the workshops, and she also liked the thought of saving "the spotty animals" and the pristine areas that they inhabit. The economic incentives also impressed her: today her monthly income has increased from 80,000 tug ($69) to 150,000 tug ($130) through this program.
Chuluunbat has become a great advocator of the SLE program. She is currently teaching two young herder women how to process their raw wool and make handicrafts with it. Additionally, through the new micro credit loan program, she acquired a modern spinning wheel, which she is very proud of.
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Snow Leopard Conservation in China http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/china/china-homepage
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China, the world’s most populous
country, also contains the largest number of snow leopards of any
country in the world. A large country bordering on nearly all
other snow leopard range states, and containing over half the world’s
potential snow leopard habitat, China is a key crossroads for snow
leopard conservation. For the second half of the 20th Century,
China's strict Communist dictatorship constrained the collection and,
especially, the international interchange of scientific
information. China is the Snow Leopard Trust's newest program
country, and the Trust is initially focusing its work in Xinjiang
province, which may harbor one-third of China’s snow leopards. Click on the map below for a more detailed look at this snow leopard range country.
Quick Links:
- Fast Facts -Answers to common questions about this snow leopard range country
- Threats to Snow Leopards - Challenges that put China’s cats at risk
- Programs - How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in China to help
Fast Facts
Area: 9,596,960 sq km (slightly smaller than the U.S.)
Area of snow leopard habitat: 1,100,000 sq km
Highest point: Mount Everest (8,850 m) (world’s tallest peak)
Human population: 1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)
Snow leopard population: 2,000 – 5,000
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas: $227
Threats to Snow Leopards
Challenges that put China’s cats at risk
Poaching of snow leopards for trade in hides or bones
Each year in Xinjiang, an estimated 20 to 30 snow leopards are
illegally killed for their hides or other body parts. Snow
leopard skins from China, the Kyrgyz Republic, and several other
Central Asian countries are traded at a market in Kashgar, in the
western part of the province. Snow leopard bones and other body
parts are in great demand on the black market for use in traditional
Asian medicine.
Reduction of natural prey due to poaching and competition with livestock
As the human population in remote snow leopard areas increases, the
snow leopard’s natural prey of wild sheep and goats are often hunted
for meat, or may face competition for food with growing
domestic herds. When wild sheep and goat populations decline,
snow leopards go hungry.
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock depredation
When hungry snow leopards are unable to find enough of their wild prey
to survive, they may turn to domestic livestock for food.
Although little information is available, it seems likely that nomadic
herders who share share snow leopard habitat in Xinjiang occasionally
kill snow leopards to protect their livestock.
Programs
How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in China to help
Research and monitoring
In collaboration with the Xinjiang Conservation Fund, a local
conservation organization, and the U.S.-based Snow Leopard Conservancy,
the Snow Leopard Trust began conducting studies in mid-2004 to
determine the abundance of snow leopards and their prey species in
Xinjiang. The Trust is also conducting socioeconomic studies and
interviews with local people to find out about human-snow leopard
conflicts in the area. This solid foundation of scientific data
will enable the Trust to begin planning and carrying out conservation
programs sometime in 2005.
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Snow Leopard Conservation in India http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/india/india-homepage
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India is a roughly
triangle-shaped country in southern Asia, bounded on the north by the
world's tallest mountains--the Himalayas--and on the east, west, and
south by oceans. The recent high-tech boom and growing middle class in
India's bustling cities contrast with the centuries-old lifestyle of
subsistence agriculture still common in rural areas. Rapid population
growth over the past few decades--India is currently home to over a
billion people--has placed growing demands on the country's natural
environment and wilderness areas. Military conflict and the disputed
border with Pakistan create additional conservation challenges in snow
leopard areas. Click on the map below for a more detailed look at
this snow leopard range country.
Quick Links:
- Fast Facts - Answers to common questions
about this snow leopard range country
- Programs - How the Snow Leopard Trust is
working in India to help
- Country Profile - Further information
about India's environment, history, people, and economy
Fast Facts
Area: 3,287,590 sq km (about 1/3 the size of the U.S.)
Area of snow leopard habitat:
75,000 sq km
Highest point: Kanchenjunga, 8,586 m (world's third-tallest peak)
Human population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)
Snow leopard population: 200-600
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas:
$378-638
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Threats to Snow
Leopards
Challenges that put India's cats at risk
Reduction of natural prey due to competition with livestock
As a growing human population pushes
further into remote areas, their livestock herds often overgraze wild
grasslands, leaving less food for the wild sheep and goats that are the
snow leopard's primary prey. As wild sheep and goat populations
decline, snow leopards go hungry.
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for
livestock depredation
When their wild prey is scarce, snow leopards sometimes turn to
domestic livestock for food. Herders, who lead a precarious economic
existence with most of their family wealth bound up in their herds, may
kill snow leopards in retaliation.
War and related military activites
Some of India's best snow leopard habitat lies within the disputed
northwestern frontier province of Jammu and Kashmir. Militarization of
this region and repeated skirmishes with Pakistan over the past several
decades put snow leopards in danger and make scientific studies and
conservation programs impossible to carry out.
Programs
How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in India to help
Community-based conservation: Livestock insurance program
The
community-designed and -run livestock insurance program helps
compensate people in five northern Indian villages for losses of
livestock to predators. When herders are compensated financially for
occasional losses to predators, they are less likely to kill snow
leopards in retaliation. The program also tries to make snow leopard
predation on livestock less likely by promoting sustainable herding
practices. In one village, residents have also set up a livestock-free
grazing reserve in order to leave more food for the snow leopard's wild
prey.
Research and monitoring
The Snow Leopard Trust is supporting or carrying out research in several areas of India. For example, a trap camera study
in Hemis National Park recently demonstrated that this research method
is a good way to capture images of--and information about--the elusive
cat. A researcher supported by the Trust's Grants Program recently investigated how to translate snow leopard pug marks, scat, and other sign into an estimate of snow leopard abundance.
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Snow Leopard Conservation in Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/mongolia/mongolia-homepage
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Mongolia is a high, remote country landlocked between two powerful
neighbors: Russia to the north, and China to the east, south, and
west. Many Mongolians continue to follow an ancient nomadic lifestyle,
herding their sheep and other livestock across the steppe in search of
good pasture. Yet this pastoral existence is lived close to the edge
of economic survival, increasing people-wildlife conflicts and causing
some herders to turn to poaching to get by. Click on the map below
for a more detailed look at this snow leopard range country.
Quick Links:
- Programs - How the Snow Leopard Trust is
working in Mongolia to help
- Country Profile - Further information
about Mongolia's environment, history, people, and economy
Fast Facts
Area: 1,565,000 square km (slightly smaller than the U.S. state
of Alaska)
Area of snow leopard habitat:
101,000 sq km
Highest point: Huyten Orgil (Nayramadlin Orgil--"Mount
Friendship"), 4,374 m
Human population: 2,751,314
Snow leopard population:
500-1,000
Average income (in US$) of people living in snow leopard areas:
$600
Threats to Snow
Leopards
Challenges that put Mongolia's cats at risk
Poaching of snow leopards for trade in hides and bones
A Mongolian herder's income is unpredictable--dependent on the health
of the herd and the vagaries of the weather--and barely enough for
subsistence even in a good year. Some herders turn to poaching
to supplement their incomes.
Killing of snow leopards in retribution for livestock
depredation
As livestock numbers in Mongolia increased rapidly during the 1990s,
snow leopard predation on domestic livestock also rose. Herders
sometimes killed the offending cats in retaliation.
More recently, a series of severe winters in the early 2000s has
diminished livestock herds--although this has been devastating for
herders, in consequence both snow leopard predation and retaliation
killings have decreased.
Programs
How the Snow Leopard Trust is working in Mongolia to help
Community-based conservation: Snow Leopard Enterprises
This major
Snow Leopard Trust program, which got its start in Mongolia in the late 1990s, encourages snow leopard
conservation while helping increase the incomes of rural Mongolians
through handicraft production. Nearly 300 herder-artisans and their
families in six provinces of Mongolia are involved today, and
participants increase their household income by as much as 25 percent.
Click here to shop for Snow
Leopard Enterprises products.
Education
Together with Peace Corps volunteers, Trust staff in Mongolia develop
educational posters and other materials and conduct community seminars
on ecology and nature conservation. Snow Leopard Enterprises
activities also include a substantial educational component.
Research and monitoring
The Snow Leopard Trust's ongoing scientific activities in Mongolia
include monitoring snow leopard and prey population levels in areas
around the Trust's program sites. The results of Snow Leopard Information Management Systems (SLIMS)
surveys have led to the establishment of two protected areas to help
the snow leopard. In the future, some research on snow leopard genetics will likely take place in Mongolia.
Snow Leopard Action Plan
The Snow Leopard Trust participated in the development of the Mongolian Snow Leopard
Conservation Management Plan in 1999, and is working to encourage its
adoption as an official policy document by the Mongolian government.
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Making Felt Slideshow Promo http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/makingfeltpromo
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Making felt
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Oyuntseren, SLE Participant, Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/oidov
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Oyuntseren Oidov is a doctor living in Tost bag, a village in Gurvantes soum of the South Gobi Province. She makes only about $118 per month, which is less than $6 per day. She had three children, but last year she lost her 19-year-old son. The boy was doing construction work and injured so badly he couldn't survive. It was a very difficult year for her; mourning the loss of her boy, taking care of her granddaughter while her oldest daughter earned money as a trader, and looking after her elderly mother. She now has to travel frequently to visit patients, and she worries about her 15-year-old daughter and 7-year-old granddaughter when she leaves for nighttime calls. These calls take her 30-50 km away from Tost bag via horses, camels, or motorcycles.
Today: Oidov is the local coordinator for the Snow Leopard Enterprise program in Tost bag, and although she does not have her own livestock, she makes camel wool yarn using the wool from her community members, and she is a great organizer of the women. Because she goes from family to family doing check ups or giving vaccinations to children and adults, she is able to spend time talking to the SLE participants and helping them with their products. This year, her community of 15 households has made more than $1,000 worth of products.
“As a single mother, I am very grateful for the program’s usefulness and support,” she says. “The money is very helpful. The women in my community all work together on this program, and being able to help other women in my community helps me in my own life. We are so happy for the program.”
Return to Snow Leopard Enterprises main page
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Snow Leopard Enterprises http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/sle
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Snow Leopard Enterprises helps people living in poverty increase their standard of living, and at the same time protect their local ecosystems.
Hundreds of women across Central Asia are given the training and equipment necessary to produce beautiful hand-felted wool products, which are sold internationally through the Snow Leopard Trust online store and other venues. These empowered women can now afford the high cost of food, medicine, and school for their children – and the herding communities in which they live no longer have to poach endangered snow leopards to survive.
All profits from Snow Leopard Enterprises are invested right back into community conservation projects that generate income and help protect snow leopards and their habitat. You can help us now!
Learn more about how Snow Leopard Enterprises…
Learn more about how Snow Leopard Enterprises works in these countries…
Meet four participants...
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Livestock Insurance http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/livestockinsurance
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The
Snow Leopard Trust works with mountain communities to create and
implement livestock insurance programs. These
village-managed programs help compensate families living in snow
leopard areas for losses of livestock
to predators. As part of the program, the herders help
protect the snow
leopard.
The Snow Leopard Trust, the Nature Conservation Foundation, and other
local partners helped herders in the Spiti valley of the Indian
Himalaya set up and finance a village-run insurance program for
valuable livestock including yaks, horses, cattle, yak-cattle hybrids,
and donkeys. As part of the program, the herders agree not to kill snow leopards or
their prey species, and to leave some room for the snow leopard's prey
species to graze.
Quick Links:
How the livestock insurance program saves snow leopards
The livestock insurance program saves snow leopards by reducing
human-snow leopard conflicts. When herders are compensated financially
for occasional losses to predators they are less likely to kill snow
leopards in retaliation.
The program is also designed to reduce conflicts by making snow
leopard predation on domestic livestock less likely in the first
place. This is done in two ways:
- The program provides sustainable incentives for good herding practices that
keep domestic livestock away from snow leopards. Bonuses are paid out
of the insurance fund to herders who have no livestock lost during a
coverage year, or to the herder who has the least losses.
- In one of the participating villages, herders agree not to graze
their livestock on a portion of the village's land, leaving more forage
for the snow leopard's wild prey. (The village receives a
fee that is based on the fair market rent for grazing land in the
area.) When wild prey is abundant and healthy, snow leopards are less
likely to turn to domestic livestock for food.
Indeed, the
population of bharal, or blue sheep, in the area has increased
three-fold since this grazing reserve was started. Bharal have also
been observed grazing in the area in the summer and autumn, their
normal pattern, rather than only in the summer, as they were before the
grazing reserve was established.
How the livestock insurance program helps families
The livestock insurance program helps families by compensating them
financially for livestock lost to snow leopards, leading to higher,
more stable household incomes. Families no longer have to fear
financial ruin as a result of snow leopard predation and have more
money to meet their basic needs.
In the region of India
where the livestock insurance program is taking place, a herder's
annual income averages $400-600 (US). In this area, a yak is worth an
average of $213 (US), and a horse $170 (US). In other words, loss of
an animal to a snow leopard or other predator represents a real
financial hardship for herding families.
How the livestock insurance program helps communities
The livestock insurance program helps communities because it is
entirely village run, an arrangement that strengthens the structure of
the community.
In most of India's Trans-Himalayan region, villages are traditionally
led by a village council, which is made up of community members
appointed on a rotating basis. and. The village council, which
functions democratically to settle disputes and make other collective
decisions, has played an important role in the livestock insurance
program from the beginning.
When the livestock
insurance program was being developed, the council led discussions
about how insurance claims would be evaluated and paid, and helped set
compensation levels for different kinds of livestock. The council also
collects the monthly insurance premiums from villagers, investigates
claims when an animal is killed, and gives out payments from the
insurance fund.
In addition, payments for the grazing reserve go to the village
council, which uses them for development projects that benefit the
entire community.
Finally, by coming together and sharing the financial risk from
livestock predation, people contribute to the good of the village as a
whole and feel a greater sense of community.
Livestock insurance in India
The livestock insurance program was started in 2002 in the
village of
Kibber, in the Spiti Valley of India's northern state of Himachal
Pradesh. (The grazing reserve had been initiated three years
before,
in 1999.) About 41 of the 68 herding families participated in the
livestock insurance program between 2003 and 2004. In all, 184
head of livestock were covered by the insurance program.
In 2004, the program was expanded to include three smaller villages
nearby--Gete, Tashigang, and Kee. More than 60 percent of the families with insurable
livestock in those villages have already enrolled. Implementation of a livestock insurance program is also underway in the village of Chichim.
Eventually, it's hoped that all the families in these five villages
will be part of the program. The Trust and its local partner
organizations also hope to expand the program to other parts of
northern India. Discussions with community leaders have already begun
in the Gya-Miru region, in the Indian state of Ladakh.
The Trust has gradually been decreasing its financial support of the
livestock insurance program, as the insurance fund has built surplus
funds year by year. By 2010, it's hoped that the program will become
self-sustaining.
Back to top
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Livestock Vaccination http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/communitybasedconservation/livestockvacc
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The Snow Leopard Trust has partnered with villagers in snow leopard
areas to create a livestock vaccination program that will help keep
their herds of sheep and goats healthy. As part of the program the
herders commit to protecting the snow leopard.
The
Snow Leopard Trust and its local partner organizations help
herders in northern Pakistan obtain basic livestock vaccines, which
were previously unavailable and unaffordable in this remote rural
area. As part of the project, the participating communities agree
not to kill snow leopards or their prey species. Those
two actions may seem unrelated at first. But in fact, the program
grew
out of an awareness that common, preventable animal diseases are a much
greater threat to herds than are predators like the snow leopard.
A major concern that had to be addressed as the vaccination program was developed
was that as fewer livestock were lost to disease, herd sizes in
participating villages would grow. This would create even more grazing
competition for the wild sheep and goats that are the snow leopard's
primary prey. To prevent this problem, participants also promise to
limit the size of their herds. The Trust helps the herders
sell any livestock beyond this herd limit at local markets.
Quick Links:
How the livestock vaccination
program saves snow leopards
The livestock vaccination program saves snow leopards by reducing
human-snow leopard conflicts. When herders aren't losing so many of
their animals to disease, they are better able to absorb occasional
losses to predators and are less likely to kill snow leopards in
retaliation.
The program is also designed to reduce conflicts by making snow
leopard predation on domestic livestock less likely in the first
place. This is done in two ways:
1. Villagers agree to limit the size of their herds.
This leaves more grass for wild sheep and goats to eat. When wild
prey is abundant and healthy, snow leopards are less likely to turn to
domestic livestock for food.
In addition, when livestock herds are smaller, the pastures nearby the
village can support them. People don't have to take their sheep and
goats so high into the mountains to find food, so they are less likely
to come in contact with snow leopards at all.
2. Fodder preservation workshops teach participants in the
vaccination program how to store hay to feed their animals over the
winter.
Villagers who attend the workshops agree to wait a few weeks longer in
the spring before taking their herds to graze in mountain pastures,
feeding their livestock on stored fodder instead of the fragile new
shoots of wild grasses.
Again, this leaves more food for the snow leopard's wild prey, and
keeps domestic livestock away from snow leopards--at a time of year
when young goats and sheep are especially vulnerable.
How the livestock vaccination
program helps families
The livestock vaccination program helps families by increasing the
survival and productivity of their herds, and thereby increasing
household income. Families can use this money for school fees, better
nutrition, health care, and other needs.
In the Chitral region of northern Pakistan where the livestock
vaccination program is taking place, a herder's annual income averages
$200-430 (US). In this area, a goat is worth $28-78 (US), and a sheep
$9-26 (US). In other words, loss of an animal to disease represents a
real financial hardship for herding families.
When their animals are protected against common livestock diseases,
families enjoy higher, more stable incomes, without the threat of
catastrophic losses to illness. Healthier vaccinated animals also
produce more and better-quality meat and wool, which herders can then
sell at a higher price.
The requirement that participants in the vaccination program limit the
size of their herds ends up helping families earn more. Smaller but
healthier herds produce more milk and meat than larger undernourished
herds using limited pasture areas. So by selling their extra
livestock, families protect the environment, improve the productivity
of their herds, and earn higher incomes.
The fodder preservation workshops and other aspects of the vaccination
program that make snow leopard predation on domestic animals less
likely also contribute to higher, more stable incomes for herding
families.
Vaccines and livestock
diseases
The livestock vaccination program protects animals against common
livestock diseases such as anthrax, hoof and mouth disease, and
pneumonia.
In the past, such vaccines were not available to herders in the area
because transportation systems did not exist to bring the vaccines to
this remote region. Moreover, not all families could afford the
vaccines, and protection of the herd requires that all animals be
vaccinated. So even if the vaccines had been available, they wouldn't
have been effective if only a few families in the village could
purchase them.
The Trust helped solve these problems by forging a partnership with
the Livestock Department of Pakistan to deliver and distribute vaccines
to participating villages. In addition, the Trust is initially
subsidizing the vaccines, which cost 50 cents (US) per animal, or about
$750 (US) per year for all the livestock in the pilot village of Kuju.
The program will become self-sustaining after 4 years with the subsidy
phased out as villagers are able to purchase their own vaccines with
the money from selling their extra livestock at local markets.
Many animal diseases can be transmitted back and forth between
domestic livestock and their wild relatives. No studies have been done
to see whether this is occurring in northern Pakistan, but it is very
common in many parts of the world. Therefore, scientists believe that
vaccinating domestic livestock in Kuju could help reduce disease among
the wild sheep and goats that are the snow
leopard's primary prey. This
could prove to be another way in which the livestock vaccination
program will help the snow leopard.
Livestock vaccination in
Pakistan
The livestock vaccination program grew out of conversations with
villagers in northern Pakistan. They knew livestock diseases were
affecting their herds, but few if any records were kept and there was
little they felt they could do to protect their animals. Predators
were perceived as a bigger problem by the community. To find out more,
the Trust set up a study with local villagers that tracked livestock deaths in the area over
the course of 3 years.
It turned out that about 10 animals were dying of disease for every
one that was killed by a predator. Villagers said they would be
willing to tolerate losses to snow leopards if they could reduce losses
to disease.
Kuju, a village of about 2,000 people, was selected as the pilot site
for the project. During the program's first year, 2003, all 1,452 of
the village's livestock were vaccinated against anthrax. Additional
vaccines and workshops on fodder preservation and other topics were
added in subsequent years.
The Trust hopes to expand the livestock vaccination program to the
nearby village of Parsan in 2005.
Back to top
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A Detailed Map of China http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/china/highlightmapchina
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Highlight Map of India http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/india/highlightmapindia
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Country Profile - India http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/india/indiaprofile
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Further information about India's environment, history, people, and
economy
Quick Links:
Environment
India's snow leopards are found in the
rugged, sparsely settled Himalayan region in the northern part of the
country. The Himalayas, formed as the Indian continental plate meets
and slides under the Eurasian plate, are the world's tallest mountain
range and are still growing.
Central India is made up of flat or rolling plains fed by a system of
great rivers including the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra.
These rivers flow from the northern mountains and deposit rich soil to
the fertile agricultural region. Most of India's population lives in
the central part of the country.
The southern part of India is a series of rocky, arid plateaus. They
are bordered by a pair of coastal mountain ranges, the Eastern and
Western Ghats.
With its large land area--it is the seventh-largest country in the
world--India encompasses a variety of ecosystems, ranging from desert
to forest, grassland, and high alpine environments in the Himalayas.
India's numerous wildlife species include at least six species in the cat
family in addition to the snow leopard.
Scientists have estimated that there are approximately 75,000 sq km of potential snow
leopard habitat in India. About 14.4% of this area is protected--a much
higher proportion than the 4% of the country overall that lies within
protected areas. Snow leopards are known to occur in at least eight
protected areas in four northern states.
Climate
Most of India is tropical or subtropical, although the climate varies
with topography. The Himalayas have a typical montane climate, with
long, cold winters and short summers.
The climate of much of India is dominated by the monsoon rains, which
occur from June through November. During the monsoon season, winds
from the southwest pick up moisture from the Indian Ocean and then
sweep over the Indian subcontinent until they hit the Himalayas, which
force them to drop their moisture as intense rainfall. India's
agricultural regions rely on the rains for irrigation, but the monsoon
season also brings the constant threat of natural disasters in the form
of widespread and destructive floods as well as drought. A bad monsoon
season can ruin the next year's crop.
History
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, arose
in the northern part off the Indian subcontinent more than 5,000 years
ago. Around 1500 B.C., nomadic Aryan tribes from Central Asia
invaded. Their Vedic culture included the rudiments of important elements of Indian culture including Hinduism, the
caste system, and classical Indian literature and music.
Over the next three millenia, several powerful Indian empires rose and
fell, and the subcontinent was visited by many different peoples
engaged in conquest or trade: Greek armies under Alexander the Great,
Mongols under Genghis Khan, Turks, Arabs, and Europeans. The British
East India Company set up its first factory in India in 1612. The last
Indian empire, the Muslim-ruled Mughal dynasty, formally ended in 1858,
when control of India was transferred to the British.
A movement for Indian independence emerged almost as soon as British
rule began. This struggle intensified in the years after World War I,
when the London-educated Indian lawyer Mohandas K. Gandhi began his
strategy of nonviolent resistance. The British relinquished control on
August 15, 1947.
At the time of independence, the subcontinent was divided in two,
forming the Hindu-majority, secular state of India, and the Muslim
nation of Pakistan. Border disputes between India and Pakistan over
the region of Jammu and Kashmir have led to two wars, a number of
skirmishes, and almost constant tensions since independence. This
conflict also threatens the snow leopards that live in India's
mountainous northwest.
People/Culture
India is the second most populous nation in the world, behind China,
with over one billion citizens. Its people represent hundreds of ethnic
groups, speak over a thousand languages and dialects, and
include adherents of all the world's major religions as well as several
smaller faiths, including Jainism, Sikhism, and Parsiism.
About 30% of Indians speak Hindi. English is the official language of
national, political, and commercial communication. An additional 14
languages also have official status under India's constitution.
India has no state religion, but the majority (81%) of the people are
Hindu. Muslims make up about 12% of the population, mainly in cities
in the north.
For thousands of years, India's society has been organized according
to the caste system, a social hierarchy in which the class a person is
born into determines their eventual profession and their place in
society. The caste system has become less important in recent years,
especially because many of the common professions in urban areas are
not associated with any particular caste. However, the caste system
remains an organizing force in Indian society today, in part because
arranged marriages are still common, and usually occur between members
of the same caste.
Economy
In India's growing cities, there are a growing middle class, modern
comforts, and expanding and diversifying industrial and service
sectors. The country's large numbers of educated English speakers are
making it a center of software development, call centers, information
technnology, and other international services.
But life is very different for the 72% of Indians living in rural
areas, who are mostly subsistence farmers. Agriculture, including both
traditional village farming and large-scale modern cultivation, employs
60% of India's total workforce. As in many other parts of the world, a
"Green Revolution" in the 1970s improved irrigation techniques and
introduced chemical fertilizers and high-yield strains of rice and
wheat. Yet poverty and an inadequate food distribution system mean that
an estimated 40% of the rural population is unable to afford adequate
food. In snow leopard regions, the main occupations are agriculture and
animal herding.
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A Map Highlighting the Kyrgyz Republic http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/kyrgyzrepublic/highlightmapkyrgyz
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Country Profile - Kyrgyz Republic http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/kyrgyzrepublic/kyrgyzprofile
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Further information about the Kyrgyz Republic's environment,
history, people, and economy.
Quick Links:
Environment
The Kyrgyz Republic is made up almost entirely of mountain peaks and
valleys. The dominant range is the Tien Shan in the East and South,
along the borders of China and Kazakhstan.
Three-quarters of the nation's land is under permanent snow and
glaciers, in the high-altitude cold deserts. Nestled in the valleys are numerous alpine
lakes, including the 700-meter-deep Lake Issyk-Kul at the
edge of the Tien Shan mountains.
Serious poaching problems exist here as in most other Central Asian
countries. However, high, grassy mountain meadows still support wild
antelope, sheep, goats, marmots, pika, and snow leopards, while the
forests of the Tien Shan contain lynx, wolf, wild boar, and brown
bear.
Snow leopards occur in several nature reserves and national parks
established by the Kyrgyz government. The recently established
Sary Chat Ertash wildlife reeserve offers good habitat for the snow leopard and
its prey species of argali sheep and ibex.
Climate
The climate of the Kyrgyz Republic varies dramatically depending upon
the elevation, ranging between polar, dry continental, subtropical, and
temperate.
The average annual maximum temperature is about 104 degrees F in the
summer, while temperatures remain below freezing in January, when cold
winds blow in from Siberia.
History
The Saka warrior tribes resided in the area of what is now the Kyrgyz
Republic from about the 6th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D.,
fiercely resisting the advance of Alexander the Great in the 4th
century B.C. Modern Kyrgyz people are probably descended from Siberians who
migrated to the area as a result of the expansion of Genghis Khan into
their original territory in the 13th century.
Between the mid-1600s and the mid-1800s, control of the area
passed from the Mongols to the Chinese and finally to the
Russians. After the formation of the Soviet Union, many Kyrgyz nomads were forced to settle during the land reforms and
collectivization campaign of the 1920s and 1930s. In August 1991, the Kyrgyz Republic declared its independence from the disintegrating
Soviet Union.
People/Culture
The Kyrgyz Republic
is home to a variety of ethnic groups, but Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Russian people
make up about 90% of the population. The official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian, which have equal
status in the country.
Seventy-five percent are of Kyrgyz citizens are Muslim, and 20% are
Russian Orthodox. Many of the cultural practices of Islam have
not been adopted as extensively as in the Middle East. For example,
most Kyrgyz Muslims will drink alcohol, which their coreligionists in
other parts of the world have interpreted as forbidden.
As in Mongolia, Kyrgyz culture and society are shaped by
centuries-old nomadic herding practices. Cultural differences exist between the
sparsely populated, Islamic south, and the industrialized,
Russian-speaking northern provinces. These differences are sharpened by
ancient tribal affiliations that are still relevant in modern times.
Economy
The economy of the Kyrgyz Republic is mainly based on agriculture; important crops include
tobacco, cotton, wool, and meat.
Industrial exports include gold, rare metals, natural gas, and
electricity. The country's economy grew rapidly during the 1990s, and was the first of the
former Soviet states to become a member of the World Trade
Organization.
However, 50 percent of the Kyrgyz population still lives below the poverty line. In
rural areas, herders lack consistent access to markets for
their meat and wool. This precarious economic existence causes some
herders to turn to poaching of snow leopards and other species to
supplement their income.
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A Map of Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/mongolia/highlightmapmong
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Country Profile - Mongolia http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/mongolia/mongoliaprofile
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Further information about Mongolia's environment, history, people,
and economy.
Quick Links:
- Environment
- Climate
- History
- People and Culture
- Economy
-
Environment
With an average elevation of 1,580 m (5,180 ft), Mongolia is one of the
highest countries on earth. The Altay and Transaltai Gobi mountain
ranges that arc along the western and southern borders of the country
are home to most of Mongolia's snow leopards.
The northern region of the country is
prairie-covered steppe. Farther south is the Gobi Desert, much of
which is arid grassland rather than true desert. (Mongolians use the
word gobi to refer to a landscape with enough vegetation to support
camels, but not enough to support marmots.)
The Gobi vegetation and soils are fragile and prone to overgrazing and
erosion, and expansion of true desert is a growing environmental
problem.
Protected areas cover about 11.5% of Mongolia's area, and encompass
18% of snow leopard habitat.
Climate
Mongolia's climate is dry, with most precipitation falling during the
brief, intense summers. The north is generally wetter than the south,
and some areas of the Gobi Desert receive no precipitation at all in
most years. Winters in Mongolia are long and cold, and permafrost
covers more than half of the country.
Relatively little snow falls, but occasional instances of severe
weather known as zuds can be devastating to herders. In these storms,
a blizzard is followed by warming and then by frigid cold, covering the
grass with a layer of ice too thick for livestock to break through.
Tens of thousands of livestock can perish in these storms.
History
During the 13th century, the tribal chieftain Genghis Khan united the
Mongol clans and conquered an empire. Under his grandson, Kublai Khan,
the Mongol Empire stretched from Korea to Hungary, larger than any other
empire before or since.
But the empire was short-lived, breaking apart in the decades after
Kublai Khan's death in 1297. The Mongols came under Chinese rule and
did not regain their independence until 1921. Three years later, a
Soviet-backed government was installed in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and
Mongolia became the world's second Communist country.
Mongolia maintained close relations with the Soviet Union for most of the rest
of the 20th century, and became heavily dependent on Soviet economic aid.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Mongolia was plunged
into a deep recession. As the decade progressed, the government
undertook democratic reforms, market restructuring, and privatization
initiatives.
People/Culture
Mongolia is a relatively homogenous country: ethnic Mongols make up
about 85% of the population, and 90% of Mongolians speak Khalka Mongol,
an Altaic language.
The main religion is Tibetan Lamaist Buddhism. During the Communist
era Buddhism was suppressed, with many monasteries destroyed and monks
killed. Although the 1992 constitution guarantees separation of church
and state, many people have become nonreligious or atheist.
For thousands of years, Mongolian culture
and society have been built around nomadic herding. Mongolians raise
horses, sheep, goats, cattle, camels, and yaks. Horses are the most
prized animals, celebrated in myth, poetry, and art. However, basic
subsistence comes from the sheep, which provides milk, cheese, meet,
wool, hides that are fashioned into clothes and tents, and dung that is
burned for cooking and heating.
The basic unit of nomadic society is the herding camp, composed of two to six
households. The herders live in circular felt tents called gers that
can be quickly broken down and easily transported when it is time to
move camp. (In fact, the ger is so integral to Mongolian culture that
even in cities, many people continue to live in these structures
today.)
Mongolia is sparsely populated, with overall population density of 1.8
people per square mile (4.7 per sq km). Beginning in the
mid-1970s, the Mongolian government encouraged migration to the
cities. Today, 57% of Mongolians live in urban areas. Thus, the
overall population density figure greatly understates the isolation of
life on the steppe.
Economy
Mongolia has one of the highest ratios of livestock to people of any
country in the world, with 5.3 sheep for every person in 2000. Nearly
half the labor force is engaged in herding or agriculture.
The northern part of the country also has rich mineral deposits,
particularly of copper, and mining is the primary industry. Since the
economic restructuring of the 1990s, many mines and factories have
closed, leading many urban Mongolians to rejoin their herding families
on the steppe. Livestock numbers increased throughout the 1990s, and
this, in turn, has sparked increased conflicts between people and
wildlife.
Outside of the economic core in the north-central region around
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia has very little infrastructure. The entire
country has just 1,724 km of paved highways.
Unemployment is low, since herding is essentially open to all, but a
herder's income is barely enough for subsistence. Most herders sell
their raw wool to traveling traders they meet as they journey across
the steppe, and since they never know if or when the next trader will
cross their path, they must accept whatever price is
offered--frequently just pennies per kilogram. This precarious
economic existence causes some herders to turn to poaching of snow
leopards and other species to supplement their income.
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A Detailed Map of Pakistan http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/countries/pakistan/highlightmappakistan
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SLIMS http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/slims
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The Snow Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS) is a set of standardized research techniques for studying wild snow leopards, their habitat, and their prey. SLIMS helps snow leopard researchers around the world share their knowledge and compare the results of studies conducted in different areas.
SLIMS was developed in the late 1980s by the Snow Leopard Trust's first Conservation Director, Rodney Jackson, in close collaboration with Don Hunter of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Trust Founder Helen Freeman. Today, almost all researchers studying wild snow leopards collect their data and design their studies according to SLIMS methods, a situation that may be unique in the world of wildlife biology.
Quick Links:
How does SLIMS work?
Wild snow leopards are very rarely seen and almost impossible to count directly. Fortunately for scientists, however, the cats leave ample evidence of their presence--footprints, scrapes, feces, scent-sprays, and claw-rakes--as they move through the landscape. This evidence, known as snow leopard sign, helps the solitary cats communicate with each other and stay out of each other's way, thus avoiding potentially aggressive confrontations.
Analyzing snow leopard sign is an important part of SLIMS methodology. First, researchers identify areas that are known or likely to have snow leopards present. Then they walk along probable snow leopard travel routes--such as at the bases of cliffs, along the peaks of ridgelines, and along rivers--and count the number of sign they see. Roughly speaking, more sign indicates more snow leopards.
SLIMS also includes methods for surveying the herds of wild sheep and goats that are the snow leopard's primary prey. From well concealed vantage points at the top of a hill or other place with a good view, researchers count the herds as they graze or rest on the mountain slopes, recording the species, group size, as well as the age-class and sex of each individual.
What questions about snow leopards can scientists answer with SLIMS?
Snow leopard sign surveys indicate the relative abundance of the cats in an area--not the exact number, but how common snow leopards are there compared to other areas. If sign surveys are conducted over several years in the same place and season, scientists can also estimate whether the snow leopard population in the area is increasing or decreasing.
More precise details can be gathered from the surveys of wild sheep and goats, because these animals can be counted directly. As with the snow leopard surveys, if prey surveys are done over several years in the same area and season, scientists can determine how the herd sizes are changing over time.
Snow Leopard Trust researchers are also exploring the possibility of using these surveys of wild sheep and goats to estimate snow leopard numbers, through a technique called predator-prey modeling. The number of snow leopards that can live in an area depends on the abundance of prey available to feed them. Therefore, scientists can collect data on prey populations and use statistical calculations to determine the likely number of snow leopards in the area. Predator-prey modeling has been used successfully to estimate populations of other cat species including tigers, common leopards, lions, and cheetahs.
How can the knowledge from SLIMS help save snow leopards?
Knowing what areas are good for snow leopards and whether the population is increasing or decreasing in a given area helps the Snow Leopard Trust and others design and evaluate conservation programs.
For example, conservation programs might be focused in an area where there is a relatively high concentration of snow leopards, or where the snow leopard population has recently begun to decline. An increase in the snow leopard population in the area after a conservation program is started would be an important indication that the program is a success.
Information about the health of wild prey herds in the area might also help determine what kind of conservation program to put in place. For example, if the herds are not very abundant but the habitat is otherwise good for snow leopards, a conservation program might focus on increasing the wild sheep and goat populations so that snow leopards can survive without preying on domestic livestock. Again, an increase in the size or productivity of the wild herds after a conservation program is started would be an indication of success.
What have scientists learned so far from SLIMS?
Since the methodology was developed in the late 1980s, scientists, park rangers, and others in snow leopard countries and around the world have learned and applied the SLIMS techniques. They have collected 10 years' worth of SLIMS survey data, including data from every snow leopard country.
SLIMS data have enabled scientists compare the relative abundance of snow leopards in different areas, and identify some high-density snow leopard areas.
The data have also been used extensively in conservation planning, especially in Mongolia. There, at least two protected areas have been established for snow leopards based almost entirely on the results of SLIMS surveys.
Finally, SLIMS surveys are being used to monitor the effectiveness of conservation programs throughout the cat's range, tracking changes in snow leopard and prey populations.
What are the next steps in SLIMS research?
The Snow Leopard Trust has recently refined and simplified SLIMS techniques based on feedback from users. The system has become less technical, easier to learn, and easier to carry out with minimal resources while still answering critical research questions.
A long-term goal is to create a centralized, online database for all SLIMS data that could be accessed by researchers anywhere in the world and make information sharing even easier. Today, country-specific databases are maintained in many snow leopard range countries where SLIMS has been taught and is routinely carried out.
Another task is to re-examine some of the assumptions behind SLIMS methodology, especially the assumption that more snow leopard sign indicates more snow leopards. This assumption is probably true in a given area and a given season, but researchers want to find out how to compare sign surveys in different areas of the cats' range, in different climate and weather conditions, and at different times of year.
Finally, developing a reliable, inexpensive method for estimating snow leopard population size is one of the key needs identified in Snow Leopard Survival Strategy. Therefore, during the summer and fall of 2005 the Snow Leopard Trust is supporting and helping to carry out research comparing the accuracy of SLIMS sign surveys with the results of other types of studies: genetics, trap cameras, and predator-prey modeling. The research will take place at two sites in the Kyrgyz Republic and a third site in western China. The Trust funded research in India in 2004 that compared trap-camera results, SLIMS surveys, and identification of individual leopards through pug mark analyses. The results of that study, combined with the current work in China and Kyrgyzstan, will help refine techniques to estimate snow leopard numbers.
Researchers expect that genetic and trap-camera studies will provide the most accurate measures of the number of snow leopards, but those methods also require a lot of time and a lot of expensive equipment. Therefore, researchers hope to find out how to correct other, more widely practical methods such as SLIMS sign surveys and perhaps predator-prey modeling to yield accurate estimates of snow leopard abundance.
Who is working on SLIMS?
SLIMS studies have been carried out by Snow Leopard Trust staff, park rangers, government wildlife agencies, students, Peace Corps volunteers, international researchers, and a broad range of local and international conservation organizations in all 12 snow leopard range countries.
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Genetic Research http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/genetics
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Researchers are studying the
genetic material, called DNA, of snow leopards in hopes of learning
such diverse information as the current size and status of snow leopard
populations, to the history of the species as a whole. This work
is still in its very early stages. Eventually, however,
scientists hope that genetic analysis will be a powerful tool to help
design and evaluate conservation programs, and locate these programs in
the places where they can be most effective to ensure the survival of
the cat.
Quick Links:
How do scientists do genetic research?
Genetic research begins with the collection of a DNA sample.
All of an animal's body cells contain exactly the same DNA.
Therefore, the sample can come from many types of tissue, including
blood, muscle, or hair.
In
the case of wild snow leopards, collecting the DNA sample can be the
trickiest step, because the cats are so elusive. Researchers must
devise clever ways to collect DNA from snow leopards without ever
seeing or touching the cats directly. They may place "hair
snares" made of wire along a snow leopard trail, or a piece of rough
carpet on a rock that snow leopards mark by cheek-rubbing, to grab a
few hairs as cats rub up against it. They are also investigating
whether they can extract usable DNA from snow leopard feces, which are
very easy to collect.
Once they have a tissue sample in hand, scientists take it to a laboratory where the DNA is extracted and analyzed.
What questions about snow leopards can scientists answer with genetic research?
Population Size
Snow leopard researchers are using a technique called genetic
fingerprinting to identify individual cats. As the term "genetic
fingerprinting" implies, the DNA of every individual snow leopard is
unique--just like a fingerprint. (Click here to learn more about
how genetic fingerprinting works.) By studying and comparing the
genetic fingerprints of many individual snow leopards, scientists can
learn a lot about the snow leopard population within a certain area.
For
example, scientists can determine the minimum number of snow leopards
living in a certain area simply by counting the number of distinct
individuals they can identify from genetic fingerprinting.
However, not all of the snow leopards in an area will pass by the hair
snare or leave other sign for scientists to collect within a given
period of time. Therefore, scientists do statistical calculations
to estimate the actual population size in the area.
Repeated
over time, this sort of analysis can tell scientists whether the snow
leopard population in a given area is increasing or decreasing.
Family Tree
Male and female snow leopards can also be distinguished based on
their DNA. Therefore, genetic analysis can also yield the ratio
of males to females in a given population. (Click here to read more about male and female DNA.)
Eventually,
by combining the analysis of sex ratios with genetic fingerprinting,
scientists may even be able to determine how different snow leopards in
a population are related to each other, and reconstruct the family
trees of wild snow leopards.
Species History
Finally, genetic analysis can help scientists answer questions
about the snow leopard species as a whole. For example, today
many snow leopard specialists believe a broad expanse open steppe and
desert in Mongolia, western China and Kazakhstan, effectively divides
the snow leopard's range into two, separate northern and southern
segments.
Scientists hope to use genetic analysis to find
out whether the northern and southern snow leopard populations are
genetically distinct. For this analysis,
they will probably study the snow leopards' mitochondrial DNA, which
acts as a "molecular clock" that records how long the populations have
been separated. (Click here to read more about mitochondrial DNA)
If
the two populations are not genetically distinct, it might indicate
that the break in the cat's range happened relatively recently,
or that tiny pockets of mountainous habitat scattered throughout the
Gobi desert may harbor snow leopards that represent a genetic
connection between the northern and southern populations. On the
other hand, if the two populations are genetically distinct, it might
indicate that they have been separated for a long time and should even
be thought of as different subspecies.
How can the knowledge from genetic research help save snow leopards?
Knowing how many snow leopards are present in a given area and
whether the population is increasing or decreasing will help the Snow
Leopard Trust and others design and evaluate conservation programs.
For
example, conservation programs might be focused in an area where there
is a particularly high concentration of snow leopards, or where the
snow leopard population has recently begun to decline. An
increase in the snow leopard population in the area after a
conservation program is started would be an important indication that
the program is a success.
Genetic research may also help shape the
conservation strategy for the snow leopard species as a whole. For
example, if the northern and southern populations are genetically
distinct, it would mean that we need ensure adequate conservation
programs are established in both regions so that we can save both
populations. In addition, if we wanted to try to repopulate areas
from which snow leopards have disappeared, we would need to make sure
we used snow leopards from the appropriate population.
What have scientists learned so far from genetic research?
Genetic fingerprinting has been used to study a wide variety of
species, including tigers, snakes, whales, bears, and even humans. So
far, scientists have learned that genetic fingerprinting of snow
leopards is complicated and a lot of work compared to many other
species.
That's because the parts of the DNA that are
studied in genetic fingerprinting seem to have very low diversity in
snow leopards. If the DNA of most individuals is very similar,
you have to look a lot harder to find the differences that can tell
them apart. (Click here to read more about genetic diversity and genetic fingerprinting.)
The
fact that these parts of snow leopard DNA aren't very diverse does tell
us something about snow leopards as a species: it suggests they
probably are not very genetically diverse in general. However,
the reasons for this lack of diversity, and its consequences for snow
leopard biology and conservation, are not yet clear.
What are the next steps in genetic research?
Scientists
hope to finish developing techniques for genetic fingerprinting of snow
leopards by early 2006. Then they will begin to analyze the DNA
of individual snow leopards.
Researchers would also like to
begin to study the genetics of wild snow leopards. Until now,
they have been working with samples of snow leopard DNA taken from
museum specimens and from captive animals whose lineage can be traced
to particular location in the wild. Because the endangered snow leopard is protected
by international treaties and by the laws of many snow leopard
countries, it can be difficult to obtain permission to collect and
transport snow leopard tissue samples.
How is the Snow Leopard Trust helping with genetic research?
The Snow Leopard Trust is collaborating with scientists around the
world to understand snow leopard genetics. The Trust is
coordinating much of this research, and has been,collecting DNA from
captive snow leopards, museum specimens, and sometimes old samples from
wild snow leopards. The Trust then helps distribute various
tissue samples to geneticists who are working to improve the snow
leopard specific techniques needed to carry out genetic fingerprinting
and other genetic studies. The Trust is funding or providing
co-funding for much of this research.
The Trust is also working
to develop proposals with several prominent scientists for collecting
genetic material from wild snow leopards.
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Trap Camera Research http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/trapcameras
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Trap cameras enable scientists to take pictures of elusive, rarely seen animals in the wild, without being there to press the shutter button. The cameras are placed in the animal's natural habitat and are automatically triggered to take a picture when an animal passes by. Scientists can be far away and do not need to disturb the animal in order to take its picture.
During the summer and fall of 2005, the Snow Leopard Trust is supporting and helping to carry out trap camera studies at two sites in the Kyrgyz Republic and a third site in western China. These will be some of the most extensive trap camera studies of snow leopards conducted to date, and will help refine the techniques for these studies as well as gather a lot of information about snow leopards in the wild. This work is being done in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Quick Links:
How do trap cameras work?
There are two fairly common types of trap cameras. One type uses active infrared technology. An emitter placed on one side of a trail sends out a beam of infrared light, which can't be seen by people or snow leopards. An infrared detector is placed on the other side of the trail, across from the emitter. When a passing animal breaks the infrared beam, a camera which has been hidden along the trail and focused on the point where the animal will break the light beam takes a picture. Often, a pair of cameras is used to photograph both sides of the animal.
In the other type of system, known as passive infrared, the camera is linked to a detector that is constantly scanning the surroundings for sources of infrared wavelengths. Warm-bodied animals give off infrared as the heat from the animal's body radiates out into the environment. Essentially, passive infrared cameras are rigged to take a picture whenever a moving source of heat is detected within the scanned area.
The Snow Leopard Trust is using passive infrared trap cameras in its studies. This technology requires less equipment, is less expensive, and easier to set up and operate. However, the tradeoff is that you can't predict exactly where the animal will be when the camera is triggered because the passive system scans a broader area than the active system. The relative merits of both systems will be easier to compare at the conclusion of the Trust’s current study.
What questions about snow leopards can scientists answer with trap cameras?
The photographs taken by trap cameras enable scientists to identify individual snow leopards by analyzing the patterns of spots and rosettes on their fur. These patterns are as distinctive to snow leopards (and to a practiced human eye) as individual human faces are to us.
Trap camera studies can also help scientists estimate how many snow leopards are found in an area. This is done through a statistical method known as "capture-recapture."
Scientists note how many individual snow leopards the camera takes a picture of (or "captures") during a certain period of time--for example, one month. Then they monitor how many of the same snow leopards the camera also takes a picture of ("recaptures") during the following month. Computer programs use statistical modeling to convert these pieces of information into an estimate of the total number of snow leopards in the area.
In the past, such studies have yielded good estimates of tiger, jaguar, and common leopard populations, as well as many other species outside the cat family.
One of the goals of the Snow Leopard Trust's trap camera studies in 2005 is to determine the most reliable method for estimating snow leopard population levels. Population estimates based on the trap camera studies will be compared to estimates based on several other methods.
How can the knowledge from trap camera studies help save snow leopards?
Like other methods for determining snow leopard population levels, the results of trap camera studies can aid in the planning and evaluation of conservation programs.
For example, conservation programs might be focused in an area where there is a particularly high concentration of snow leopards, or where the snow leopard population has recently begun to decline. An increase in the snow leopard population in the area after a conservation program is started would be an important indication that the program is a success.
The results of the Trust's 2005 trap camera studies will be used in the development of a national Conservation Action Plan for snow leopards in the Kyrgyz Republic. In addition, the Kyrgyz government is considering increasing the size and making other management changes to the Sary Chat Ertash Reserve, one of the sites of the study, and the study results may also influence these decisions.
What have scientists learned so far from trap cameras?
Previously, trap camera studies of snow leopards have only been carried out in a few small areas in northern India. Rodney Jackson, of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, has used active infrared cameras to estimate the number of snow leopards in Hemis National Park, in the northern Indian state of Ladakh. Snow Leopard Trust researchers have also used passive infrared cameras to study snow leopards in India. These initial studies suggest that trap cameras are a good method for capturing snow leopard pictures.
What are the next steps in research involving trap cameras?
In the studies being carried out by Snow Leopard Trust researchers in 2005, individual cats will be identified and the capture-recapture statistical method will be used to estimate the population size at three study sites:
- The Sary Chat Ertash Zapovednik (Strictly Protected Area) in the central Tien Shan Mountains of the Kyrgyz Republic. This reserve was established in 1995 specifically to protect the snow leopard and the wild sheep and goats that are the snow leopard's primary large prey.
- The Jangart hunting reserve, in the southeast Kyrgyz Republic near the Chinese border. For many years, highly restricted access to this area protected the wildlife species that live there. Recently, guided hunts for wild mountain sheep and goats have been conducted.
- The Tomur Protected Area, which lies in the Chinese Tien Shan Mountains near the Kyrgyz border.
At each study site, 46 trap cameras will be set out along known or likely snow leopard travel paths. The cameras will be arranged in pairs--one on either side of a trail--to capture photographs of both sides of the animals, making identification easier. The studies will run for 6-8 weeks in each location.
How is the Snow Leopard Trust helping with trap camera research?
Kyle McCarthy, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, is leading the trap camera studies in the Kyrgyz Republic and China. His work is supported in part by the Snow Leopard Trust Grants Program. Co-funding comes from the Wildlife Conservation Society of New York.
In studying the ecology of large carnivores, Kyle McCarthy is following in the footsteps of his father, Snow Leopard Trust Conservation Director Tom McCarthy, who will advise on the studies.
Other key collaborators include Snow Leopard Trust staff in the Kyrgyz Republic; Kubanych Jumabai Uulu, a Kyrgyz graduate student; Prof. Todd Fuller of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst; the staff of the Sary Chat Ertash Zapovednik and its senior biologist, Alexander Vereshagin; the Community and Business Forum (CBF), a leading Kyrgyz conservation organization; and Maxim Kulikov, Snow Leopard Project Coordinator for CBF. In China the project will be conducted by Dr. Ma Ming, of the Xinjiang Conservation Foundation and Dr. Raghu Chundawat, the Snow Leopards Trust’s Regional Science and Conservation Director.
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Snow Leopard Conservation Grants Program http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/consresgrants
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Funding Research, Conservation, and Education projects across the snow leopard's range.
To view the recipients of the 2010 Snow Leopard Conservation Grants, please visit the Snow Leopard Network website.
The Snow Leopard Conservation Grants Program supports researchers, conservationists, and educators in snow leopard countries who are working on projects that meet the needs identified in the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy. Grants range from $1,000 and $8,000 (US), with the average grant being about $5,000; the awards have totaled $20,000-$35,000 per year. Nearly $90,000 was awarded during the first 3 years of the Grant program (2003 – 2005).
The program provides crucial support to people working in snow leopard countries, where resources are often scarce an even a modest grant can make a big difference. It targets resources to the local level, where they can have the most immediate effect. Grant recipients include range-country scientists and educators, international professionals working closely with or hosted by range-country counterparts, and graduate students of many nationalities.
The Snow Leopard Conservation Grants Program began soon after the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy was completed in 2002; the first grants were made for 2003. By giving priority to projects that address questions or needs identified in the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, the program puts this international scientific consensus into action where snow leopards live.
Small Grant Pre-proposals (2-page concept papers) are accepted from 1 July through 1 August of each year. The pre-proposals are reviewed by outside experts and the Snow Leopard Trust's Conservation Committee, and authors of promising projects are invited to submit a Full Proposal. The Conservation Committee then selects winning proposals and awards are announced in early November. If you are interested in applying for a Conservation and Research Grant, please contact us.
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GIS Mapping http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/gismapping
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Scientists are using a powerful
type of computer software called GIS to develop the most comprehensive
information to date on where snow leopards live. This effort will
result in an incredibly detailed map of snow leopard range to help
guide research and conservation programs. Researchers around the world
will be able to add to the map for many years in the future as our
knowledge of snow leopards continues to grow.
Quick Links:
How does GIS mapping work?
GIS, or Geographic
Information Systems, is computer software that helps researchers make
maps and analyze many layers of data. GIS is used widely today in
scientific studies, urban planning, and a variety of other fields.
Snow
leopard experts from around the world are currently using GIS
technology to create an "expert-based model" of snow leopard
range. They are compiling information that many different
researchers have collected, sometimes going back many years, about snow
leopard habitat, sightings, and sign.
All of this information will be put onto a single electronic map that
scientists can share, analyze, and continue to update with new
information about snow leopards.
Similar expert-based models have been made of tiger and jaguar range by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
What questions about snow leopards can scientists answer with GIS mapping?
GIS mapping will help scientists understand known, previous, and
potential snow leopard range--where the cats live now, where they used
to live, and where they might be but we don’t know for sure. It
can also be used to predict where snow leopards should be found, based
on the physical attributes of known snow leopard range. This can
help point researchers to the remote locations where little is known
about the cats, but the GIS analyses tell us should be good cat
range. Research in snow leopard habitat is very expensive and
difficult due to its remote and rugged nature, so GIS can help focus
limited research funds on the most promising locations.
Over the years, there have been various attempts to map snow leopard
range, but past efforts have relied on models of snow leopard habitat
based on incomplete or low quality habitat information. Very
little validation (ground-truthing) of the early maps was possible and
very limited “expert knowledge” was available as input to the
maps. Today GIS uses vastly improved habitat data from satellite
imagery and we have a broad network of experts providing field
data. The current project aims to collect comprehensive
information throughout the cat's range, and assign degrees of
confidence to each piece of information.
How can the knowledge from GIS mapping help save snow leopards?
According to the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy,
developing better information about snow leopard range and distribution
is a key research need. This information is crucial to the cat's
survival because it will help the Snow Leopard Trust and other
organizations decide where to focus research and conservation programs.
For
example, scientists might decide to look for snow leopards in an area
that is thought to provide good habitat but where snow leopards have
not been sighted in recent years. A conservation effort might be
launched to protect a small area of snow leopard habitat that acts as a
"bridge" between two larger populations.
What have scientists learned so far from GIS mapping?
In the mid-1990s, Rodney Jackson, the Snow Leopard Trust's first
conservation director, collaborated with Don Hunter of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to develop a GIS model of snow leopard
range. Their model incorporated measures of elevation, ruggedness
of terrain, and distance from towns to yield a map of good snow leopard
habitat.
Their model shows that GIS technology is useful
for gathering and displaying information about snow leopard
range. However, it is still only a model--it describes where snow
leopards might be or could be expected to be. The current GIS
project will yield comprehensive information about where snow leopards
actually are.
What are the next steps in GIS mapping?
Paper maps of most
snow leopard range countries have been distributed to experts in snow
leopard countries and around the world. These experts are
currently marking up the maps with each location they have seen a snow
leopard or snow leopard sign or received a trustworthy report of the
cat’s presence.
When the international experts complete this
task, all of their information will be combined, and the boundaries of
known occupied snow leopard habitat will be drawn. By the end of
this year, the resulting map will be placed online, where researchers
around the world will be able to view it and even submit additional
information, so that our knowledge of where snow leopards live will
continue to grow.
Who is working on GIS mapping?
The Snow Leopard Trust and theSnow Leopard Conservancy are collaborating to organize and fund the GIS mapping project.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is lending its GIS expertise. The Snow Leopard Network has providing additional funding, and served as the source of experts who are contributing to the mapping project.
Patricia
Williams, a graduate student in geography at the University of Montana
in Missoula, will compile all of the information submitted by the
experts, input the data to the GIS program, and produce the expert
maps. She will then place the maps online for review, comments
and continual updating.
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Science and Research http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/index_html
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Discovering how snow leopards live and how to overcome the threats to their survival.
An important part of the Snow Leopard Trust's philosophy is that conservation programs should be based on good science. Helping to increase our scientific knowledge about the elusive snow leopard and its remote environment is an important part of what we do, and the foundation of our conservation work
Standardized methods for studying the snow
leopard and the hints of its presence help researchers around the world
share information.
Unlocking the secrets about snow leopards and their history hidden in the cat's genetic material, or DNA.
Harnessing the power of computers and a far-flung team of experts to develop the most comprehensive understanding yet of where snow leopards live.
Learn more about the world-wide effort by
scientists, educators, and other conservation organizations to save the
endangered snow leopard.
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Genetic Fingerprinting http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/geneticspop1
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Genetic Fingerprinting
DNA is made up of long strings of building blocks, called
nucleotides. Genetic fingerprinting analyzes parts of the DNA
called microsatellites, which consist of short sequences of nucleotides
repeated a variable number of times in each individual.
Imagine a microsatellite as a series of identical beads on a
string. In one individual, the string might be 5 beads long, in
another it might be 6 beads long, and in still another only 4.
Most microsatellites have only a few possible variations, so one
microsatellite alone ddoesn't tell you much. (A microsatellite
that could have 6, 5, or 4 repeats would only enable you to tell 3
individuals apart.) But animals have multiple microsatellites in
their DNA, so researchers can look at several of them in order to
distinguish individuals from one another.
Imagine each microsatellite as a string of beads of a specific
color. One individual might have a string of 5 red beads, 21
yellow beads, and 7 blue beads. Another individual might have 6
red beads, 19 yellow beads, and 9 blue beads. A third individual
might also have 6 red beads and 19 yellow beads, but can be
distinguished from the second individual by having only 8 blue beads.
In other words, the combination of those different numbers of beads—those different microsatellites—is the genetic fingerprint.
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Male and Female DNA http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/geneticspop2
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Male and Female DNA
All snow leopard cells contain 38 chromosomes, including two sex
chromosomes. A chromosome is a structure that contains part of an
animal's DNA.
Male and female snow leopards can be distinguished genetically based on
their sex chromosomes, which come in X and Y varieties. Male snow
leopards have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome in all their body
cells, while females have two X chromosomes in each body cell.
This is the same pattern of sex chromosomes seen in humans.
Researchers can look at cells under a microscope to determine the
pattern of sex chromosomes inside them, and therefore determine the sex
of the animal the cells came from.
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Mitochondrial DNA http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/geneticspop3
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Mitochondrial DNA
Most of an animal's DNA is found inside the nucleus, an envelope that
encloses and protects the genetic material in each body cell.
Snow leopards, like all animals, also have a small amount of DNA that
is found inside other structures in the cell called mitochondria.
Like other DNA, mitochondrial DNA is made up of a sequence of building
blocks called nucleotides. As mitochondrial DNA is passed down
through the generations, small changes accumulate here and there in the
sequence, like typographical errors.
These changes accumulate at a known rate, making mitochondrial DNA
function like a "molecular clock." By looking at the number of
differences in mitochondrial DNA between individuals from two different
populations, scientists can determine how long ago those populations
became separated from one another.
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Genetic Diversity and Genetic Fingerprinting http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/geneticspop4
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Genetic Fingerprinting and Genetic Diversity
Remember that microsatellites, the parts of the DNA that are used in
genetic fingerprinting, can be thought of as strings of colored beads.
In a species that is not very diverse, every individual would have, for
example, either 4 or 5 red beads, and either 19 or 20 yellow
beads. In other words, every individual would have one of just
four combinations of red and yellow beads (4 red and 19 yellow, 4 red
and 20 yellow, 5 red and 19 yellow, or 5 red and 20 yellow).
That means that in a species with low diversity, a large number of
microsatellites--a lot of different bead strings--have to be identified
in order to tell individuals apart.
Compare this situation to that of a diverse species that could have 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 red beads, and 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21 yellow beads--or
30 possible combinations from just two microsatellite locations.
In a high-diversity species, it would probably take 5 or 6
microsatellites to tell individuals apart. In a low-diversity
species like the snow leopard, scientists need to identify 10
microsatellite locations or even more. Finding a single
microsatellite location that can be used in genetic fingerprinting
takes many hours of work.
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Snow Leopards in Langtang NP http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/2005sltgrantreport1pop
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Two years ago principle investigators R. Kyes and M. Chalise conducted
the first annual Field Training Program in Conservation Biology at
Langtang National Park (LNP), Nepal for park rangers from around
Nepal.
The training program also involved a two-week field survey of
several of the parks endangered wildlife species including the snow
leopard. Although there have been reports of snow leopard sightings in
LNP in the past, confirmation of its presence has been lacking in
recent years. During the survey, fresh snow leopard pug marks were
discovered in the snow around the river plain at Kyanjing village in
the northern part of the park (elev. ~3750m). This was exciting news
as it confirmed the presence of snow leopards in the park.
Over the
past 2 years investigators have been assessing the presence and status
of the snow leopard population in LNP. Pugmarks, fecal samples, and one
visual encounter confirmed the presence of snow leopards in the park.
This study is providing initial information on the distribution and
abundance of a population that has received little previous systematic
investigation. Further, given the concerns of the local villagers
living in the area who report of the periodic killing of domestic
livestock (i.e., horses, yaks, and sheep, etc.), the threat of
retribution (i.e., killing) against the snow leopards remains high.
In
2005 the project will continue to build on past success and firmly
establish an active research and educational outreach program designed
to promote the conservation of the snow leopards in LNP.
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Conservation Education in Afghanistan http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/2005sltgrantreport2pop
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Afghanistan provides sufficient habitat for healthy Snow Leopard
populations. The distribution of the species encompasses the harsh and
rugged Hindukush ranges started from Pamir to central and than to east
of the country. Tracks of the animals are seen every where around
HinduKush ranges. Encroachment into snow leopard habitat, human
activities, pastorialism, and dominant land use have triggered a
vicious circle for the steady decline of the species, and probably
reduced the numbers of prey animals which are scarce at high altitudes
as well. As a result leopards are forced to turn over domestic animals
for food. In retribution, herders shoot the species anywhere they find.
Such happenings are frequent in Afghanistan.
The politically unstable situation in Afghanistan adds further
pressure on endangered wildlife. Heavy bombardment in wildlife habitat,
military maneuvers, conflicts among government and the opposition,
clashes among local commanders, and finally general ignorance in the
past two decades are key reasons for the decline of snow leopard in the
country.
There has not been any small to large scale activities for the
conservation of this and other species in the country. A general lack
of awareness of conservation issues is prevalent and could be the root
cause of conservation related issues.
This proposed project will focus
on raising awareness to educate local communities on conservation of
the species and the habitat. We will include informal education
activities and disclosing of informative materials through cultural and
religious channels. These activities will involve the stakeholders and
facilitate their full participation in upcoming conservation programs.
Communities living in snow leopard areas in Afghanistan are Muslim and
have a high respects to religious scholars. These figures will help
develop the informative materials and disseminate conservation messages
among the local populace. On the basis of wildlife protection through
Islamic tenants, there are many verses ensuring the issues in Holy
Quran (Holy book) that will be placed in the informative materials.
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Kyrgyz Republic Snow Leopard Population Study http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/2005sltgrantreport3pop
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Because of their cryptic nature, large home ranges, and low
population densities, snow leopards are by nature extremely difficult
to monitor or survey. To date, no methodology for confidently
estimating population size, or even population trend, has been
validated for the species.
The density of leopard sign,
such as pugmarks and scrapes, is commonly used as an index of snow
leopard density. However, data from sign transects (i.e., Snow
Leopard Information Management System [SLIMS]) are fraught with
potential errors and biases. Despite a lack of validation, the
methodology continues to be employed across snow leopard range.
Sign transects are also one of the few methods now being used to
monitor the impacts of human activities, including conservation
measures. The Snow Leopard Survival Strategy states that a
reliable, and preferably simple and inexpensive, method for monitoring
population changes over time is much needed. In short, to
formulate and achieve conservation objectives that adequately protect
snow leopards, conservation planners require tested methodologies for
accurately estimating cat numbers and population trends across a wide
variety of habitats.
In this study three methods of estimating relative and absolute snow
leopard population size are being compared. Sign density, an
indicator of relative abundance, will be calculated using the SLIMS
methodology. These data will be contrasted with estimates of
absolute cat numbers derived from camera trapping and from
prey-predator density modeling.
Camera traps are now commonly
employed to obtain population estimates for large cats and other
cryptic species. Prey numbers are often much easier to
obtain than those for solitary elusive predators, and prey densities
have proven useful in predicting predator numbers through
modeling. Such models have proven useful in many predator-prey
systems and it meets the SLSS criteria of being inexpensive and easily
applied.
We will also collect snow leopard fecal material from
all study sites that should allow for a fourth population estimation
technique (genetic fingerprinting) to be included in the comparison
when the genetic technology for the species is perfected and when
adequate funding becomes available.
The study will also
provide comparisons of each technique across three study areas of varying
management and environmental conditions, and thus snow leopard
densities, in the Kyrgyz Republic and China.
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Hemis National Park Study http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/2005sltgrantreport4pop
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Snow leopards live in an extremely harsh and stressed
environment. They are one of the top predators in the Trans-Himalayan
ecosystem and play a major ecological role in shaping species diversity
and in maintaining ecosystem stability and integrity.
Snow
leopards also acts as an 'indicator species' to gauge ecological health
of high altitude ecosystems, yet the food habits of snow leopards have
received little research attention, especially in India. Such
information was identified in the SLSS as important, but lacking.
The
highly endangered snow leopard is facing various ecological and
anthropogenic threats throughout its range. The major threats it is
facing are degradation of its highly fragile habitat, depletion of
prey-base, poaching and persecution by local cattle herders as
retribution to the loss of their valuable livestock.
In this study
the food habits of the snow leopard will be examined, and compared with
prey availability; especially to understand their dependence on
livestock for sustenance. The issue of antagonism due to livestock
depredation is gaining voice in the region and allegations are put
forward by local communities that the incidence of depredations has
drastically increased. Results are to be compared with those from past
studies in the region.
Questions to be answered include: Does the snow
leopard’s diet consist of substantial amount of livestock? Is it
selecting a particular prey type more in proportion to its abundance?
Is there a significant level of overlap with the Tibetan wolf for food,
especially in winters? Can this be interpreted as competition? If yes,
how do the two carnivores co-exist in a resource scarce situation?
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Livestock Depredation Study http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/2005sltgrantreport5pop
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Blue sheep are considered as an important primary prey for snow
leopard in Nepal and elsewhere in and the Himalayan region. Therefore
the presence of blue sheep populations in the snow leopard habitat may
have significant impact on reducing snow leopard depredation on
livestock and eventually in conserving the endangered snow leopard.
Published and unpublished reports show that the density of blue sheep
varies considerably depending on habitat quality, anthropogenic
activities and other ecological factors.
Livestock play a vital role in the economy and culture of Nepal and
constitute an essential element of the country's subsistence farming
system. Thus, livestock is and continues to be major source of
livelihood for herder communities. However Livestock depredation has
become a significant problem across the snow leopard range in central
Asia, being most severe in and near protected areas. Such depredation,
especially incidents of "surplus killing" in which five to hundred or
more sheep and goats are lost in a single night, almost inevitably
leads herders to retaliate by killing rare and endangered
carnivores like snow leopard, wolf and lynx.
Theoretically snow leopard should attack livestock as their
secondary prey only when their natural prey is either depleted or hard
to find. What could be main cause of snow leopards killing livestock
instead of abundant blue sheep? Does the key lie in the system of
livestock herding? How can such traditional practices be improved that
ensure livestock protection?
This project will assess the
distribution, abundance and the habitat use patterns of snow leopards
and blue sheep and the degree of livestock depredation in Phu valley.
Is there any co-relation between the abundance of prey (blue sheep) and
livestock depredation by snow leopards? Is there any room for
improvement in the existing herding system such that it reduces
livestock depredation? The overall goal of the project is to
assess the correlation between the abundance of prey (blue sheep) and
livestock depredation by snow leopards and develop a simple management
plan for the conservation of snow leopards for ACAP.
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Snow Leopard Network http://www.snowleopard.org/programs/science/sln
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The Snow Leopard Network (SLN)
links together organizations, individuals, and government agencies all
over the world who are working to protect the elusive snow leopard. The
Network fosters information sharing, collaboration, and professional
linkages among the members of its dedicated international community to
help make snow leopard conservation efforts more efficient and
effective.
From the Network's beginning, the Snow Leopard Trust has played an
active role, collaborating with other Network members and supporting
the Network financially and in many other ways. The Snow Leopard
Network Secretariat is currently housed at the Trust's headquarters
office, and Trust Conservation Director Tom McCarthy is the current
Executive Director of the Network.
Visit the Snow Leopard Network website, or click on the links below to read more about the Network:
Quick Links:
How did the Snow Leopard Network begin?
The Snow Leopard
Network was established in May 2002, during the Snow Leopard Survival
Summit in Seattle, Washington. The Summit, co-sponsored by the Snow
Leopard Trust and Woodland Park Zoo, brought together 65 experts from
17 countries to review the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, which these
experts had been working on for over a year.
Participants
wanted to find a way to continue the close collaboration and fruitful
communication they enjoyed during the development of the Survival
Strategy and at the Summit after returning to their far-flung homes.
They formed the Snow Leopard Network to harness the global reach of the
Internet to help keep them in close touch across time zones and
disciplines.
Who is part of the Snow Leopard Network?
Snow Leopard Network members include
individuals, government agencies, nonprofit groups, and a variety of
other organizations. There are currently 336 members, in 32 countries, and the membership is growing. All members are united by a common goal:
ensuring the survival of this magnificent but endangered cat.
The Snow Leopard Network is led by an Executive Director, a seven member Steering Committee, and Country Coordinators in each of
the 12 snow leopard range countries. Five additional
committees—Action Planning, Communications, Membership, Policy
Position, and Science—focus on different aspects of the Network's
mission.
The Snow Leopard Trust headquarters in Seattle
currently hosts the Secretariat, the administrative hub of the
Network. The Trust's contributions include office space, staff
time, computers, technology hosting, and some administrative
help. The Network, however, is independent and the Secretariat
might periodically move around to different organizations and locations
including snow leopard range countries.
What does the Snow Leopard Network do?
One of the
Snow Leopard Network's primary tasks is to help implement the
Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, which provides comprehensive snow
leopard conservation and research guidelines and serves as a tool for
the development of snow leopard action plans in individual range
countries. Snow Leopard Network members periodically update this
vital document to reflect the latest knowledge about the cats and their
conservation status.
The Network also provides a conduit for
communication among its members. Members can read news stories
and announcements from around the world published on the Snow Leopard
Network Website. They can find out about funding opportunities
and access a bibliography of more than 1,000 articles on snow leopards and
their ecology. They can also participate in ongoing discussions
of topics related to snow leopard conservation through the Network's
Internet listserv.
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Livestock Insurance Program
Science and Research
Trap Camera Studies
Snow Leopard Conservation Grants Program
Snow Leopard Bibliography
