In 2013, under the leadership of the then-President of the Kyrgyz Republic, we helped create the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). Since then, the Snow Leopard Trust has continued to support the Secretariat of this intergovernmental cooperation alliance of Environment Ministers of all 12 snow leopard range countries. Recently, the incumbent President, Sadyr Zhaparov, visited snow leopard habitat with our staff and recorded a video appeal to the people of the world.
That quote is from the director of our Kyrgyzstan program, who recently traveled with students to one of our summer eco-camps to inspire a connection with nature and conservation. He shared a heartwarming story about two boys who came home with a newfound passion for wildlife.
Aibek Sergek uulu, the eco-education coordinator from our Kyrgyzstan Program, recently shared his harrowing experience traveling to set up research cameras in the Sarychat mountains during a snowstorm.
“Have you seen the snow leopard? No! Isn’t that wonderful?” That famous quote by renowned author and naturalist Peter Matthiessen invokes a mysticism about the snow leopard like no other. Once-in-lifetime tourist expeditions to snow leopard habitat in search of the elusive mountain ghost are becoming increasingly popular. But should you go?
One hundred fifty honey bee hives were successfully delivered to their new homes in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Relocating the bees was a challenge, as Benazir, our Project Assistant, shares, “The delivery process was so nerve-wracking because we were transporting live creatures over a long distance. The delivery kept getting postponed due to rainy weather. To add to the complexity, honey bee families are supposed to be delivered at night so they can orient themselves once they are settled. Due to the specific challenges and risks involved, we did not sleep for two nights, constantly checking on the location of the truck with the bee families.”
On World Wildlife Day, 16 rangers were awarded for their vital role in protecting Kyrgyzstan’s precious wildlife.
Follow our team on a trip to our Kyrgyz partner community of Ak Shiyrak, high up in the snow leopard habitat of the Central Tian Shan mountains.
Ten wildlife rangers from various protected areas and provinces of Kyrgyzstan were recognized and rewarded for outstanding service at the annual Ranger Rewards Ceremony in Bishkek on World Wildlife Day. The total reward sum was 115,000 Kyrgyz Som (ca. 1,650 US$). The ten honored rangers had successfully apprehended and brought to justice poachers or illegal …
Follow field researcher Sherry Young, Wildlife Ranger Urmat Sokolov and their horses Padiera and Caramel as they cross frozen rivers and climb precipitous slopes to install camera traps to monitor snow leopards and their prey in Kyrgyzstan’s Sarychat Ertash Reserve.
This fall, Snow Leopard Trust researchers have set up camera traps across the entire Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountain range to see how many snow leopards live in this habitat near the country’s capital, Bishkek. Research Associate Suraiya Luecke shares some of the team’s experiences from the field with us.
