April 2008 – Snow Leopard Network

Snow Leopard Conservation Fund (SLCF) is to coordinate international and national information sharing on snow leopard conservation and research in Mongolia

The March 2008, international snow leopard conference in Beijing passed three major resolutions. The first being for national focal points to be formed in each of the snow leopard range countries. The focal points will coordinate the communications and exchange of information on snow leopard conservation and research both international and national levels. Following this resolution, The Mongolian Focal Point was established at the National Snow Leopard Policy review, 18 March 2008 in Ulaanbaatar, where it was decided to form a broad based focal point group in order to maximize the benefits of collaboration. The group is comprised of government agencies, international and national NGOs, engaged in snow leopard conservation and research. The six members of the group represent Ministry of Nature and Environment (MNE), WWF, UNDP ( Altai Sayan Eco- Region project), Uvs Lake Basin Protected Area and Snow Leopard Conservation Fund (SLCF, NGO). It was agreed that SLCF would coordinate focal point group activities. This will be good news for snow leopard conservation and research in Mongolia, as it will enable all group and other stakeholders to better facilitate problems of information sharing and allow NGO’s and government institutions to learn from each other. One of the three resolutions suggested at the Beijing conference was to expedite development of a Snow Leopard Action Plan, or to better implement existing plans to their fullest extent. Mongolia already has had an action plan that has been followed since 2005 when it was first approved, along with the Snow Leopard National Policy. However, the action plan for the next decades which was suggested at the Beijing international conference, was introduced for review at the 18 March policy review workshop as well. A group of Mongolian participants who attended at the international conference, was able to suggest adaptations and additional activities that would update the existing action plan and improve harmony with international guidelines set at the Beijing conference. Action Plan review workshop was hosted by MNE, WWF and Irbis Mongolia, NGO in 18 March, 2008.

The documentary “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth” was chosen “Best of Festival” at this year’s International Wildlife Film Festival.

The following article appeared in the Missoulian on 8 April 2008:Newly edited ‘Snow Leopard’ best of IWFF
By JAMIE KELLY of the MissoulianThe film chosen Best of Festival for this year’s International Wildlife Film Festival has already been seen in Missoula.

However, “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth” underwent plenty of editing changes during the last year, when its producer arrived fresh from Pakistan, where the film takes place.

Resubmitted as an official entry this year, the epic story of the rare snow leopard, and efforts to save the species, is “an indicator of the future of wildlife filmmaking,” said IWFF executive director Janet Rose.

“It’s not just about wildlife,” Rose said of the BBC Natural History Unit film, one of 96 documentaries to be screened next month. “It’s about culture and people. The film really hits on all of those cylinders in a dynamic and sometimes controversial, sometimes emotional way.”

The festival’s six finalist judges awarded the film Best of Festival, but as always, it was a close call, said Rose.

Because the entries are increasingly excellent, the festival expanded its list of award categories, for the first time recognizing the best of Montana wildlife documentary filmmaking.

The Montana Filmmaker Award went to “Fish and Cow,” an 18-minute film by Bozeman filmmakers Geoff Stephens and Rick Smith about ranchers and conservation efforts in the Upper Big Hole Valley. It was filmed for the Nature Conservancy.

The Sapphire Award, named after Montana‘s official gemstone, is essentially the runner-up to Best of Festival. The award went to “Crash: A Tale of Two Species,” by New York filmmaker Allison Argo, an emotional tale of the decline of horseshoe crabs and a small species of bird that relies on crab eggs for its survival.

The last addition to the award category is the Special Jury Award. It went to “The Last Trimate,” an account of Birute Galdikas’ lifelong fight to save Indonesia‘s wild orangutans.

For more information about the award-winning films and all others that will be shown at next month’s IWFF, go to www.wildlifefilms.org

Coming next monthThe 31st International Wildlife Film Festival runs May 10-17 at the Roxy Theatre and the Wilma Theatre. For tickets and information, go to www.wildlifefilms.org

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/05/news/mtregional/news08.txt

Resolutions of the International Conference on Range-wide Conservation Planning for Snow Leopards Beijing, China March 2008

In Memoriam

In recognition of the her pivotal role in bringing the plight of the snow leopard into the world’s consciousness and in championing broad conservation efforts to save the species across its range, the participants of this conference wish to honor Helen Freeman by dedicating the outcomes and stipulated conservation actions to her memory.

Participants

This conference was attended by representatives from eleven snow leopard range countries including Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Representatives from six non-range countries also participated. The participants agreed upon the following vision and resolutions.

A Vision for Snow Leopards over the next century
A world where snow leopards and their wild prey thrive in healthy mountain ecosystems across all major ecological settings^a of their entire range^b, and where snow leopards are revered as unique ecological, economic, aesthetic and spiritual assets.

^a Defined as: Altai-Sayan, Trans-Altai – Alashan Gobi, Tian Shan, Pamir, Hindu-Kush, Karakorum, Himalayas, Hengduan Mountains, and Tibetan Plateau
^b As defined by the potential range analysis conducted in a workshop during this conference. Resolutions

1. All range countries should expedite development of a Snow Leopard Action Plan, or implement existing plans to the fullest extent. A draft plan should be developed within 12 months and be based on the aforementioned range-wide vision, and set a framework that addresses the human-snow leopard interface looking at economic, cultural, moral, aesthetic and ethical issues. Plans should also take into account successful models from within and outside range states for designing and implementing conservation, research and monitoring programs for snow leopards while supporting local peoples who are maintaining the natural heritage of snow leopards and their mountain ecosystems.

2. Each country will designate a national snow leopard focal point from a relevant institution to coordinate with the Snow Leopard Network and other focal points for the exchange of information at the national and international level.

3. Range state governments will develop mechanisms (e.g., Memoranda of Understanding) to promote transboundary cooperation on matters such as trade, research and management relevant to snow leopard conservation that include, inter alia, the impacts of climate change on distribution and long-term survival of snow leopards, and where possible incorporate positive actions within conservation programs (e.g ,carbon neutral projects).

Beijing Conference on Snow Leopards Called “Watershed Event”

The international conference on Range-wide Conservation Planning for Snow Leopards held in Beijing, China, from 7 – 11 March, was deemed a major success by the conference organizers which included the Panthera Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), Snow Leopard Network (SLN), and the Chinese Institute of Zoology. Conference co-Chair Dr. Tom McCarthy (SLT) labeled it “A watershed event in our common effort to save snow leopards.”

Leading conservationists and researchers, as well as government officials from 11 of 12 snow leopard range countries, were among the more than 100 conference attendees.

Founder and Executive Chairman of Panthera, Tom Kaplan, announced that organization’s commitment to an unprecedented range-wide effort to conserve snow leopards. Panthera’s offer of partnerships and collaboration, backed by substantial resources, caught the attention of the audience. The magnitude of the task ahead was echoed in keynote addresses by Dr. George Schaller (WCS), one of the first people to ever study the elusive snow leopard, and Dr. Urs Breitenmoser, co-Chair of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, who made it clear that saving the big cats would not be easy and would require substantial effort of all concerned.

Unlike many conferences which showcase the plight of an imperiled species but take few positive steps toward their conservation, the gathering in Beijing included several work sessions that sought specific results which would be immediately applicable to preserving snow leopards across their central Asian range. The first two days were dedicated to mapping the collective knowledge of 30 experts occurrence and distribution. Led by Dr. Eric Sanderson (WCS) and Dr. David Mallon (SLN), participants worked in regional teams to map the known and suspected range of the cats and identify critical conservation units within the range. Despite past efforts to depict exactly where snow leopards can still be found, maps of their range were based on habitat models and scant data, much of it anecdotal. The map created during this conference represents the collective field data of the world’s most knowledgeable scientists, which is unprecedented for this species.

Invited speakers then shared expertise on successful conservation methods and best practices in research methods, and country teams reported on the status of snow leopard action plans across the region. The participants were then charged with using the new range maps and targeted conservation units to develop country specific actions that should be undertaken in the next several years if snow leopards are to be saved. Each country’s plan was designed with the following shared vision in mind.

A Vision for Snow Leopards over the next century:

A world where snow leopards and their wild prey thrive in healthy mountain ecosystems across all major ecological settingsof their entire range, and where snow leopards are revered as unique ecological, economic, and spiritual assets.

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A full report, inclusive of all country-specific actions and the new range map, will soon be available from the co-organizers and will also be found on the Snow Leopard Network website: www.snowleopardnetwork.org