SLN is excited to invite you to our next webinar from the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
Camera Trapping
About the talk:
Dr. Shafqat Hussain founded Project Snow Leopard in 1999 as a pilot project and later the Organization was registered in 2007, as Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization (BWCDO), to work with local communities to find a way to compensate them for their livestock loss, while also removing the incentive to retaliate against the snow leopard.
BWCDO works with remote communities throughout Baltistan in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. Their work currently covers over 18 villages across six valleys. Recently, BWCDO has also started working in Gojal Region in Upper Hunza. BWCDO work with local communities to resolve human wildlife conflict and co-existence.
BWCDO’s central mechanisms to resolve the conflict between farmers and snow leopards, are livestock insurance program, building Predator Proof Corrals, conservation education awareness program and research and surveys. This NGO was the first organization to implement livestock insurance schemes to protect the snow leopard in Pakistan. Their unique work are recognized on the international level with Rolex Award, UNDP First Equator Award (2017) and NABU Snow Leopard Prize (2021).
In this Webinar we are share BWCDO’s 25th year’s contribution and collaboration with local communities for the Snow leopard conservation and human wildlife coexistence in Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan.
Conservation Education
About our Speaker:
Raza Muhammad is from Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan Pakistan. Born amidst the breathtaking yet challenging landscapes of Gilgit Baltistan, his early life was spent in rugged terrain and harsh winters. The snow-capped peaks, mighty Indus River, and mountains were not just his surroundings, but were inspiring and teaching him resilience, adaptability, and a profound respect for the Wildlife and environment.Raza has dedicated his life to conserving natural beauty and wild species. His ambitions were fulfilled when he joined BWCDO. Raza started his early career with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Pakistan, worked with local communities and gained Environmental Management and social mobilization fieldwork experience. He has been working, since 2019, with the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization for the conservation of Snow leopard and its prey species with local communities, to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and to create co-existence by giving economic incentives, research and surveys and conservation education awareness, in the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges in Northern Pakistan.
About our Facilitator:
Kayley Bateman joined the Snow Leopard Conservancy team as Programs Manager in July of 2023. She coordinates SLC’s conservation, education, and applied research programs and serves as the primary liaison between SLC and its partners. Kayley has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Animal Science and a Master’s of Art in Biology from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. Her involvement in Project Dragonfly’s Global Field Program focused on working effectively across diverse ecological and social settings to foster change through community-engaged education, scientific inquiry, environmental stewardship, and global understanding. Last fall, Kayley traveled to Nepal with the Snow Leopard Conservancy to facilitate the One Health – One Welfare program, an interdisciplinary approach aimed at strengthening local capacity to enhance the well-being of both animals and people in Nepal. Before joining the Conservancy, Kayley spent 15 years as an animal care specialist working directly with snow leopards, tigers, bears, and other wildlife in zoological settings.
Receiving compensation
Date/Time:
Tuesday, 22nd April at 19:00 PM (Bishkek time)
Location:
ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE
Please note:
- If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
- Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
- Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session