Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:
Title: Status of the snow leopard Panthera uncia in the Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China
Author: Zhang, C., Ma, T., Ma, D.
Abstract: Population density estimation is integral to the effective conservation and management of wildlife. The snow leopard Panthera uncia is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and reliable information on its density is a prerequisite for its conservation and management. Little is known about the status of the snow leopard in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains, China. To address this, we estimated the population density of the snow leopard using a spatially explicit capture–recapture model based on camera trapping in Machang in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains during January–March 2019. We set up 40 camera traps and recorded 84 separate snow leopard captures over 3,024 trap-days. We identified 18 individual snow leopards and estimated their density to be 2.26/100 km2. Our study provides baseline information on the snow leopard and the first population estimate for the species in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains.
Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:
Title: Climate casualties or human disturbance? Shrinking distribution of the three large carnivores in the Greater Himalaya
Author: Kichloo, M. A., Sharma, K., Sharma, N.
Abstract: Mammalian carnivores are key to our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, but most of them are threatened with extinction all over the world. Conservating large carnivores is often an arduous task considering the complex relationship between humans and carnivores, and the diverse range and reasons of threats they face. Climate change is exacerbating the situation further by interacting with most existing threats and amplifying their impacts. The Mountains of Central and South Asia are warming twice as rapidly as the rest of the northern hemisphere. There has been limited research on the effect of climate change and other variables on large carnivores. We studied the patterns in spatio-temporal distribution of three sympatric carnivores, common leopard, snow leopard, and Asiatic black bear in Kishtwar high altitude National Park, a protected area in the Great Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir. We investigated the effects of key habitat characteristics as well as human
disturbance and climatic factors to understand the spatio-temporal change in their distributions between the early 1990s and around the year 2016–2017. We found a marked contraction in the distribution of the three carnivores between the two time periods. While snow leopard shifted upwards and further away from human settlements, common leopard and Asiatic black bear suffered higher rates of local extinctions at higher altitudes and shifted to lower areas with more vegetation, even if that brought them closer to settlements. We also found some evidence that snow leopards were less likely to have faced range contraction in areas with permanent glaciers. Our study underscores the importance of climate adaptive conservation practices for long-term management in the Greater Himalaya, including the monitoring of changes in habitat, and space-use patterns by human communities and wildlife.
Join us for a webinar that delves into the fascinating world of cluster studies in snow leopard research. We will explore the realm of spatial ecology and its broader implications for understanding the species. Our guest, Gustaf Samelius, Assistant Director of Science for the Snow Leopard Trust, will join us to share a recent update on the collation of detailed cluster studies of snow leopards in the South Gobi, Mongolia. These studies, conducted in collaboration with the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, are part of the Long-Term Ecological Study, which has been active for over 13 years. Gustaf will discuss how his time in the Gobi during spring 2023 has provided a more detailed understanding of the species.
We will also be joined by Yanlin Liu from Qinghai Normal University, China, who will participate as a discussant. Yanlin will share how the collaring work in the Qilianshan mountains of China (which is approx. less than 500km from the Mongolia South Gobi study) addresses similar or different questions related to prey predation. Koustubh Sharma will facilitate this discussion and we hope that participants will engage with our guests, with questions, as we delve into a broader conversation about snow leopard behavior and predation.
About the talk
GPS-collars are a common way to study spatial ecology but GPS-collars can also teach us about other aspects of ecology such as foraging patterns and reproductive biology. During this seminar, Gustaf will show us how they use what is called cluster studies (which is visiting of the places where collared animals stop for extended periods) to study predation patterns of collared snow leopards in southern Mongolia. Gustaf will also show us how they are also starting to use cluster studies to learn more about where the collared cats are resting and how this will help us understand how the cats are using the mountains and why they are limited to mountains.
About our Guests
Gustaf Samelius, Assistant Director of Science for the Snow Leopard Trust, specializes in applied ecology and the conservation of snow leopards and mountain ecosystems. With nearly a decade of experience, Gustaf has been actively involved in the Long-term Ecological Study, providing him with a detailed understanding of snow leopard ecology in this region.
Yanlin Liu has been working with different teams on the snow leopard assessment in Qilian Mountains. Yanlin is currently a Lecturer in the College of Life Sciences at Qinghai Normal University and consultant for the Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance. He previously served as the director of the snow leopard project for the ShanShui Conservation Center and a Post-Doc in the Chinese Academy of Forest.
Koustubh Sharma is the Science and Conservation Director at Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) and International Coordinator at The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). With nearly 20 years of experience in ecological research, wildlife conservation and training, he helps build collaborations and coordinate alliances and at multiple levels for snow leopard research and conservation.
Date/Time
Thursday, August 31st, 2023 at 14:00pm Bishkek time
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.
Bedsite where Anu and her cub spent the day and the eveningmale ibex killed by collared snow leopard
Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:
Title: Comparison of two individual identification algorithms for snow leopards (Panthera uncia) after automated detection
Author: Bohnett, E., Holmberg, J., Faryabi, S. P., An, L., Ahmad, B., Rashid, W., Ostrowski, S.
Abstract: Photo-identification of individual snow leopards (Panthera uncia) is the primary data source for density estimation via capture-recapture statistical methods. To identify individual snow leopards in camera trap imagery, it is necessary to match individuals from a large number of images from multiple cameras and historical catalogues, which is both time-consuming and costly. The camouflaged snow leopards also make it difficult for machine learning to classify photos, as they blend in so well with the surrounding mountain environment, rendering applicable software solutions unavailable for the species. To potentially make snow leopard individual identification available via an artificial intelligence (AI) software interface, we first trained and evaluated image classification techniques for a convolutional neural network, pose invariant embeddings (PIE) (a triplet loss network), and compared the accuracy of PIE to that of the HotSpotter algorithm (a SIFT-based algorithm).
Data were acquired from a curated library of free-ranging snow leopards taken in Afghanistan between 2012 and 2019 and from captive animals in zoos in Finland, Sweden, Germany, and the United States. We discovered several flaws in the initial PIE model, such as a small amount of background matching, that was addressed, albeit likely not fixed, using background subtraction (BGS) and left-right mirroring (LR) techniques which demonstrated reasonable accuracy (Rank 1: 74% Rank-5: 92%) comparable to the Hotspotter results (Rank 1: 74% Rank 2: 84%)The PIE BGS LR model, in conjunction with Hotspotter, yielded the following results: Rank-1: 85%, Rank-5: 95%, Rank-20: 99%. In general, our findings indicate that PIE BGS LR, in conjunction with HotSpotter, can classify snow leopards more accurately than using either algorithm alone.
Just a reminder 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 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 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.
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.
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.
We are thrilled to showcase a diverse range of topics and resource persons from seven different organizations as part of our upcoming Summer Exchange. Each week, we will delve into various aspects of conservation and research, offering valuable insights and opportunities for knowledge sharing. Join us as we explore a wide array of tools, techniques, and approaches that play a crucial role in wildlife conservation and habitat protection.
To participate, please register through the following link, and we look forward to welcoming you to the event!
Please note that all sessions take place at 14:00 pm, Bishkek time.
Tuesday, 13th June
SMART Tools
The use of technology in conservation efforts has revolutionized data collection and analysis. The Wildlife Conservation Society will present the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), a technology designed to monitor and protect wildlife in protected areas. Discover how SMART is applied in surveys for endangered species, such as snow leopard prey species. Learn about data collection methods, management, and analysis using the SMART survey tool.
Samantha Strindberg
is a Conservation Scientist and Wildlife Statistician at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). She specializes in wildlife survey techniques, statistical analysis, and conservation management. With a Ph.D. in Statistics focused on Wildlife Population Assessment, Samantha has extensive experience in the field.
Antony Lynam
is an ecologist and conservation scientist at WCS. With over 30 years of experience in wildlife conservation and management, he has pioneered the use of technology for conservation purposes. Antony has expertise in camera trapping, GPS navigation, and law enforcement monitoring databases.
Tuesday, 20th June
Intro to QGIS
Join our online workshop, Introduction to QGIS, and discover key tools for everyday data visualization, spatial analysis, and mapping. This concise introductory session focuses on practical skills using QGIS, a powerful geographic information system widely used in conservation and research. Engage in interactive activities and discussions to gain a solid understanding of essential QGIS tools and their applications in real-world projects.
Justine S Alexander
Justine Shanti Alexander is a Senior Conservation Scientist at the Snow Leopard Trust and the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Network. As a snow leopard conservationist, she frequently employs QGIS in her everyday work and has conducted training sessions on the software for field teams, including protected area staff, who have found the acquired skills highly useful for their conservation efforts.
Tuesday, 27th June
AI Camera Trap Management
Join us for an online workshop where the ShanShui Conservation team will introduce their newly developed software designed to streamline camera trap image processing. This software focuses on efficiently removing images that do not capture any animals and simplifying the creation of Excel sheets with the corresponding time and date information. While the workshop will not cover artificial intelligence for species or individual identification, it will provide valuable insights into the team’s ongoing efforts to develop software tools that will enhance camera trap data analysis in the future.
Wei Chunyue
started her journey in wildlife conservation from camera trap data processing and analysis working with Shan Shui Conservation Center. She then participated in snow leopard monitoring and conservation work on the Tibetan Plateau. Chunyue takes strong interests in applying technology tools to facilitate camera trap data management. Chunyue holds a BSc. in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University and a MSc. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.
Dong Zhengyi
has 6 years of experience in wildlife conservation on the Tibetan Plateau. He participated in many snow leopard surveys in the southeastern part of the Plateau. He is now dedicated to enhancing wildlife monitoring with cutting-edge technology and promoting the integration of biodiversity data across various fields. Zhengyi holds a BSc. in Biology Science from Peking University and a MSc. in Conservation Biology from Lund University.
Thursday, 06th July
Intro to Occupancy and SCR methods
Explore the PAWS toolbox, focusing on occupancy models and spatial capture-recapture (SCR) methods. Understand survey design, data collection, management, and analysis for assessing snow leopard distribution and abundance. Gain insights into interpreting and communicating results effectively.
Ian Durbach
is an ecological statistician with expertise in wildlife surveys. He has supported snow leopard camera trap surveys and provided design and analysis assistance across the PAWS network.
Koustubh Sharma
is an experienced wildlife conservationist and the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program. With more than 20 years of experience, he coordinates snow leopard research and conservation efforts.
Thursday, 13th July
Conservation and People: Champion Networks
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.
Deepshikha Sharma
Deepshikha Sharma is actively involved in community-led conservation in snow leopard habitats in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. She focuses on reducing human-wildlife conflict and raising awareness among local communities.
Thursday, 20th July
Data collection and visualization
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.
Altynai Adabaeva
is a freelancer specializing in environmental data analytics. She has extensive experience in conducting surveys and using data analysis for research and conservation projects.
Thursday, 27th July
Nature Education
Nature education plays a vital role in conservation efforts. This workshop highlights the theories and practices from education, ecology, and psychology that can be applied to design effective nature education projects. Engage in interactive discussions and activities to learn how to create content and resources that foster a deep connection with nature.
Vena Kapoor
founder of Nature Classrooms, collaborates with primary school teachers and educators, offering training workshops and co-developing nature learning activities. With expertise in conservation leadership and ecology, Vena holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a Masters in Ecology from the University of Pondicherry.
Thank you to all the organizations and Resource Persons supporting the Summer Exchange!
Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:
Title: Landscape resistance to gene flow in a snow leopard population from Qilianshan National Park, Gansu, China
Author: Atzeni, L., Wang, J., Riordan, P., Shi, K., Cushman, S. A.
Abstract:Context: The accurate estimation of landscape resistance to movement is important for ecological understanding and conservation applications. Rigorous estimation of resistance requires validation and optimization. One approach uses genetic data for the optimization or validation of resistance models. Objectives We used a genetic dataset of snow leopards from China to evaluate how landscape genetics resistance models varied across genetic distances and spatial scales of analysis. We evaluated whether landscape genetics models were superior to models of resistance derived from habitat suitability or isolation-by-distance. Methods: We regressed genetically optimized, habitat-based, and isolation-by-distance hypotheses against genetic distances using mixed effect models. We explored all subset combinations of genetically optimized variables to find the most supported resistance scenario for each genetic distance. Results: Genetically optimized models always out-performed habitat-based and isolation-by-distance hypotheses. The choice of genetic distances influenced the apparent influence of variables, their spatial scales and their functional response shapes, producing divergent resistance scenarios. Gene flow in snow leopards was largely facilitated by areas of intermediate ruggedness at intermediate elevations corresponding to small-to-large valleys within and between the mountain ranges. Conclusions: This study highlights that landscape genetics models provide superior estimation of functional dispersal than habitat surrogates and suggests that optimization of genetic distance should be included as an optimization routine in landscape genetics, along with variables, scales, effect size and functional response shape. Furthermore, our study provides new insights on the ecological conditions that promote gene flow in snow leopards, which expands ecological knowledge, and we hope will improve conservation planning.
Samantha Strindberg
Wei Chunyue
Dong Zhengyi
Ian Durbach
Koustubh Sharma
Deepshikha Sharma
Altynai Adabaeva
Vena Kapoor
