Month: July 2023

New Article to the Bibliography

 

Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:

Title: Neutral and adaptive genetic variation in Indian snow leopards, Panthera uncia

Author: Golla, T. R., Tensen, L., Vipin, Kumar, K., Kumar, S., Gaur, A.

Abstract: In this study, we reveal patterns of genetic variation in snow leopards (Panthera uncia) by combining neutral (mtDNA, microsatellites) and adaptive (MHC II-DRB) genes. We collected 56 faecal samples from three locations in India. We observed moderate levels of microsatellite diversity (N = 30; A = 5.6; HO = 0.559). Nine unique MHC II-DRB sequences were identified in four snow leopard samples, of which 8 were novel. We found low levels of polymorphism in MHC class II-DRB exon, which was higher in captive (VA = 9.4%) compared to wild individuals (VA = 7.8%), likely as a result of a population bottleneck.

URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1722

New Article to the Bibliography

 

Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography: 

Title: Effects of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) on olfactory communication of Pallas’s cats (Otocolobus manul) in the Altai Mountains, Mongolia 

Author: Allen, M. L., Rovero, F., Oberosler, V., Augugliaro, C., Krofel, M. 
Abstract: Olfactory communication is important for many solitary carnivores to delineate territories and communicate with potential mates and competitors. Pallas’s cats (Otocolobus manul) are small felids with little published research on their ecology and behaviour, including if they avoid or change behaviours due to dominant carnivores. We studied their olfactory communication and visitation at scent-marking sites using camera traps in two study areas in Mongolia. We documented four types of olfactory communication behaviours, and olfaction (sniffing) was the most frequent. Pallas’s cats used olfactory communication most frequently at sites that were not visited by snow leopards (Panthera uncia) and when they used communal scent-marking sites, they were more likely to use olfactory communication when a longer time had elapsed since the last visit by a snow leopard. This suggests that Pallas’s cats may reduce advertising their presence in response to occurrence of snow leop 
ards, possibly to limit predation risk. 

URL:  

https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1721


 

Week 5: Community led-conservation through a network of local champions with Deepshikha Sharma

Week 5: Community led-conservation through a network of local champions with Deepshikha Sharma

Learn about community-led conservation and the importance of building working relationships and trust with local communities. Deepshikha Sharma from the Nature Conservation Foundation – SLT India program will share experiences, challenges, and lessons learned in working with community champions in the trans-Himalayan mountains of India.

 

 

Sabin Snow Leopard Grants Program Announcement

Hello All,

I am very happy to announce that with the continued generous support of the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, Zoo New England will be accepting pre-proposals for the Sabin Snow Leopard Grants Program. This call will be open from July 1 through August 15, 2023.

The Sabin Snow Leopard Grants Program supports research, threat mitigation, and building conservation capacity within the snow leopard conservation community.

 Zoo New England is proud to continue providing this important support to snow leopard conservation so that this magnificent big cat can continue to survive and thrive in its high mountain home.

 Please follow the link below for details. 

 https://www.zoonewengland.org/protect/around-the-globe/sabin-snow-leopard-grants-program/Untitled

 Best regards, 

 Peter Zahler

Director of Field Conservation

Zoo New England

 

Week 6: Data collection and visualization with Altynai Adabaeva

Week 6: Data collection and visualization with Altynai Adabaeva

This session explores the best practices for designing questionnaires and utilizing the data collection tool KoBoToolbox. Discover how to create well-structured surveys and efficiently collect data. Additionally, explore Looker, a powerful data analytics platform, and learn how to create interactive dashboards.