Author: sln_g5rd8x

Darjeeling to get new off display breeding center endangered Himalayan animals

Amitava Banerjee, Hindustan Times
Darjeeling, June 23, 2011

First Published: 20:11 IST(23/6/2011)
Last Updated: 20:13 IST(23/6/2011)

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) Darjeeling, is all set to start an off display breeding centre for rare and endangered Himalayan species, specially snow leopards and red pandas at Tobgay Danra on the way to Peshok around 20 km from Darjeeling town. The forest department has allott ed 5 hectares of forest land for this.

The PNHZP was founded in 1958 and specializes in the captive breeding of endangered Himalayan species including Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Tibetan Wolf; Blue Sheep, Himalayan Tahr and Satyr tragopan (crimson horned pheasant.) At present all these animals are being bred in enclosures at the PNHZP premises in Darjeeling.

The PNHZP is the coordinating zoo for the red panda breeding programme (Project Red Panda) in India. Under this programme red pandas are bred in captivity at PNHZP, Gangtok zoo in Sikkim and Itanagar zoo. The first breeding success under the Project Red Panda came in 1994.

Since then there have been around 40 Zoo bred Pandas at the PNHZP, many of the animals sent to other high altitude zoos. At present the Red Panda population stands at 9 males, 5 females including a male cub and a female cub.

PNHZP is the pioneer zoo to have initiated the captive breeding programme of snow leopards. In 1986 this programme had been started with 4 snow leopards. At present there are 4 males, 3 females. “There have been 52 births in captivity. Most of the animals have been given out to other high altitude zoos” stated AK Jha, director, PNHZP.

“Our main aim is to release the zoo bred animals in the wild. We had got immense success on 14th November 2003 when 2 zoo bred radio collared red pandas were released in the wild in the forests of Garibans. However this has not been tried out for the snow leopards” remarked Jha.

“We will be sending a proposal to the Central Zoo Authority for the off display breeding centre at Topgey Danra which is located in the Sinchal Wildlife Sanctuary. The survey is already complete. The state government will be providing the necessary funds for building the infrastructure” stated Jha.

With this off display breeding centre the animals will not be disturbed as visitors will not be allowed. They will have ample space also. Each enclosure will be of an area of half hectare each. Initially a pair of red pandas and a pair of snow leopards will be kept.

“We will try to hone the hunting skills of the zoo bred snow leopards. Once the animals are equipped for the wild we can try to reintroduce the zoo bred snow leopards in the wild” stated the Director.

Recently Hiten Burman, forest minister, government of West Bengal had visited the PNHZP along with Bratya Basu, higher education minister. “We will further upgrade the infrastructure of the Zoo” stated Hiten Burman.

While Burman christened the Red Panda cubs Ram and Janaki and a blue sheep cub “Nilu,” Basu named a blue sheep cub “Bonny”.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Darjeeling-to-get-new-off-display-breeding-center-endangered-Himalayan-animals/Article1-712883.aspx

National Symposium on Biodiversity concludes in Pakistan

National Symposium on Biodiversity concludes
Staff Reporter
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Islamabad—The three day National Symposium on Biodiversity of Pakistan 2011 concluded here on Thursday. Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) organized the symposium with the support of WWF, Snow Leopard Trust and COMSATS to discuss the biodiversity issues and mark the International Biodiversity Decade as declared by the United Nations to create awareness on the importance of biodiversity upon which the survival of future generations depends. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Mir Changez Khan Jamali inaugurated the symposium on June 7.

During three day proceedings of the symposium, the biologists from across the country in different technical sessions headed by experts presented their research papers and discussed various biodiversity issues, threats and their remedies. Dr. Shahzad A. Mufti, Advisor COMSATS, was the chief guest at the concluding session of the symposium. Addressing the participants, he underlined the need to make concerted efforts and adopt a holistic approach for addressing the biodiversity issues.

He discussed different threats to the biological resources of the country and urged the biologists and all the stakeholders to join hands for protection of biodiversity. He also called upon the relevant departments to launch effective awareness campaigns to disseminate information on importance of the biodiversity. In the final session on Thursday the participants of the symposium presented their recommendations which would be included in the book “Biodiversity of Pakistan” Volume-II, said PMNH Director General Syed Azhar Hasan.

He said these recommendations would help make action plan to protect the biodiversity for our future generations. The DG said being focal organization of biodiversity research, PMNH with the support of PSF.

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=96787

Russian officials cleared of poaching charges (shooting argali from helicopter in Altai)

Russian officials cleared of poaching charges

23 May 2011
A court in southern Siberia’s Altai Republic on Monday acquitted three high-ranking officials whose hunting of endangered animals led to a deadly helicopter crash two years ago.

Judge Nikolai Lubenitsky said the prosecution had failed to prove the defendants’ guilt. He also said all the three men could claim compensation for damages sustained as a result of the prosecution.

A Mi-17 helicopter carrying government officials crashed near Altai’s Chernaya mountain in January 2009, killing seven people, including the Russian president’s envoy to the State Duma, Alexander Kosopkin, and a federal environmental official.

It was subsequently alleged that the officials had been hunting endangered mountain sheep.

Four people survived the crash, including the republic’s deputy prime minister, Anatoly Bannykh, who resigned after the crash; deputy head of the Institute of Economics and Law Nikolai Kapranov, and State Duma official and businessman Boris Belinsky.

The three officials were charged with illegal hunting and faced up to two years in prison if found guilty.

KOSH-AGACH (Altai Republic), May 23 (RIA Novosti)
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110523/164177511.html

Kyrgyzstan to invite Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin to International conference on snow leopard rescue

Kyrgyzstan to invite Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin
23/05-2011 10:47, Bishkek – 24.kg news agency , by Julia MAZYKINA

Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin will be invited to Kyrgyzstan to International conference on snow leopard rescue, reported DEUTSCHE WELLE news agency.

Members of German non-profit nature conservation organization NABU will also participate in the conference.

According to experts, nowadays, there are about 350 snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz authorities and NABU made an agreement on protection of rare animals. The program is developed for the period of 10 years. According to the leader of the NABU project in Central Asia Boris Tikhomirov, following the results of the conference, ecologists hope to implement a number of projects in nature conservancy.

Recall, the native land of the snow leopards is mountains of Central Asia (from Himalayas to Altai and Tien-Shan to Hindu Kush, and Eastern Tibet. Now, snow leopards are on the verge of extinction in all over the world. It is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

URL: http://eng.24.kg/community/2011/05/23/18225.html

Update from The Altai Project, 28 May 2011

Greetings from The Altai Project!

It’s summer in Altai, although the snowmelt still fills churning rivers. Here in California we have finally seen the end of our winter rainy season. Over the winter at The Altai Project, we reflected on our accomplishments and lessons for 2010:

The first ever camera-trap study of snow leopards in the Argut River watershed gave disappointing but clear results – there are no remaining snow leopards in the northern part of the watershed despite a prey-rich environment and fairly isolated landscape.

Poaching has become the number one threat to large mammals in Altai Republic. Using snares, desperately impoverished people indiscriminately capture and kill animals for sale on the Asian medicinals market.

Over the past year, partners like Foundation for the Sustainable Development of Altai and WWF-Altai-Sayan launched the “Land of the Snow Leopard” ecotourism program, engaging the local community in sustainable economic development.

Despite much local criticism and Western analysts’ initial skepticism, Russia and China are increasingly intent on building a natural gas pipeline across Altai’s culturally and environmentally unique Ukok Plateau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This year The Altai Project will work to protect at-risk species like raptors and the critically endangered snow leopard and argali mountain sheep and to improve scientific knowledge of these species with the help of our local partners at Arkhar and Siberian Environmental Center. We will also support our partner Danil Mamyev in his decades-long effort to protect the sacred Karakol Valley. And we will lead an international campaign in partnership with the Save Ukok Coalition to reroute the proposed pipeline away from the Ukok Plateau.

Please help us protect Altai, a pearl in the world’s ecological crown. Here are some details about our upcoming work. See below for a list of ways to donate or get involved.

In July, The Altai Project and SUNY-Syracuse’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry will send a conservation biologist and two electronics specialists to work with our Altai partners installing heat- and metal-sensing detectors in poaching areas in Altaisky Zapovednik. These devices enable rangers to catch poachers fast, before they make a kill.

In August, we will send a team of field biologists and graduate students to southeastern Altai to conduct joint surveys of argali mountain sheep with local activists. This survey will occur simultaneously in Mongolia and Altai, giving us valuable information about the world’s largest sheep species. Tracking this transboundary population allows us to see the effects of poaching and estimate snow leopard prey levels.

Arkhar needs a small grant to begin intensive work on reducing subsistence poaching in Altai. Poachers place so many snares along migratory routes that animals have almost no chance of avoiding them, spelling death for snow leopards, Siberian ibex and mountain goats, musk deer, lynx, and other animals. Arkhar will hire locals to remove the snares, and other partners will help Altaians develop alternative economic opportunities.

When the rivers freeze over in winter, Arkhar will resume camera-trapping studies with local volunteers to locate snow leopards in Altai Republic. Knowledge of their current range and population will equip us to support their return to prime habitat areas.

We have given Siberian Environmental Center seed funding to protect Altai’s raptors – golden eagle, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, peregrine falcons, and eagle owls. Many birds are electrocuted on power lines in Altai each year, and a third of them are raptors. SEC will work with power companies and the government to retrofit power poles and transmission lines to prevent these bird deaths. In addition, SEC has dedicated the May edition of its well-respected Raptor Conservation journal to the risks of a proposed pipeline across the Ukok Plateau, home to many important bird species.

Russia and China are close to reaching an agreement on the price of natural gas that would flow through this pipeline. They are predicted to close the deal by summer 2011, and our Altaian partners are bracing a full-tilt campaign to reroute the pipeline away from Ukok. The Save Ukok Coalition has already developed the http://saveukok.ru/ website and is building a posse of respected experts to fight Gazprom and the government every step of the way in order to protect Altai’s cultural heritage, unique natural environment, and rural communities.

The Altai Project has received special support from Weeden Foundation this year to sponsor an international campaign against the pipeline’s construction. We’re planning to fund a public environmental impact assessment, raise international awareness of the Altai region and the pipeline’s threats, and work closely with the Save Ukok Coalition to avert this potential disaster.

Warmly,

Jennifer Castner
Project Director

Unique snow leopard captured on video during an international expedition in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion

This is a release put out by Altaisky Zapovednik. Here’s a link to the video on YouTube if you can’t make the link below work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuYARiqW-5g&feature=player_embedded.

*****

http://www.altzapovednik.ru/news/2011/05/expedicia-irbis.aspx

Unique snow leopard captured on video during an international expedition
24 May 11

A joint Mongolian-Russian expedition to study transboundary populations of snow leopard in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion recently finished its work. The expedition took place May 5-18, 2011 with support from WWF-Russia and WWF-Mongolia. Participants in the int’l expedition surveyed transboundary snow leopard habitat – the Mongolian side of Tsagan-Shibetu Ridge (in Tsagaan-Shuvuut Zapovednik) and Chikhachev Ridge (park of Silkkhemin Nuruu National Park), adjacent to the Russian border. Staff from Altaisky Zapovednik, the Mongolian Academy of Science’s Institute of Biology, WWF-Mongolia, Irbis Video Studio (Altai Republic), the Irves Anti-poaching Brigade (Mongolia), and the Administrations of the Uvs-Nuur and Mongolian Altai protected areas participated in the international expedition.

Several of the areas surveyed by the scientists indicated a high density of evidence of snow leopard spoor and markings. A group of snow leopards live in this transboundary area, and their study is extremely important for protecting these rare predators in Russia and Mongolia. The predator’s scrapes, scent markings, paw prints, and prey remains were found in as many as thirty sites per kilometer of the route. This number is comparable to the best snow leopard habitat in India and Nepal. The experts also gathered 50+ scat samples for future DNA analysis to determine the gender and number of animals in this group.

During the expedition and almost atop the Russian international border, the group was able to collect unique video images of snow leopards. The scientists installed camera traps on Chikhachev Ridge in a place where snow leopards were active and after just a few days – success! A snow leopard jumped from a large rock immediately in front of the camera, and unhurriedly walked way along a narrow canyon. Link to the video here, on Altaisky Zapovednik’s website: http://www.altzapovednik.ru/video/2011/irbis.aspx.

The data gathered as a result of this study show that snow leopards live permanently in this area, and that the population is stable. WWF experts estimate the snow leopard population along Chikhachev Ridge to be about 10-12 animals, with an additional 20 animals on the Tsagaan-Shibetu Ridge (both the Russian and Mongolian sides).

Despite their seemingly small number, snow leopards living along the Russian-Mongolian border are a connecting link between the few remaining Russian groups and the population nucleus in western Mongolia.

In Mongolia, snow leopards are protected within Tsagaan-Shuvuut Zapovednik and Silkkhemin Nuruu National Park. On the Russian side, Chikhachev and Tsagan-Shibetu Ridges unfortunately fall outside of any officially protected area.

Today, WWF experts are assessing the possibility of creating an additional cluster in Sailyugem National Park, along the southern side of Chikhachev Ridge in Altai Republic, as well as a cluster for Ubsunurskaya Basin Zapovednik in the southern part of Tsagan-Shibetu Ridge (Tuva Republic).

Follwoing their analysis, the materials gathered on the expedition will permit a more precise estimate of the population of snow leopards living in the study area (Shapshal – Tsagan-Shibetu – Tsagan-Shuvuut and the southern Chikhachev Ridge) as well as to identify genetic links with other snow leopards in Russia.

Materials from WWF-Altai-Sayan and Sergei Spitsyn (Altaisky Zapovednik) were used to prepare this press release.

*****

Translation by Jennifer Castner

International Collaboration Brings New Hope to Endangered Snow Leopards: The BBC Wildlife Fund is partnering with Whitley Fund for Nature and Nature Conservation Foundation to launch new conservation program across Asia

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

London, England and Bangalore, India (PRWEB) May 26, 2011

The BBC Wildlife Fund (BBCWF) and two leading conservation organizations, Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) and Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), are teaming up to launch a new program aimed at securing a healthy population of snow leopards across Asia. The BBC Wildlife Fund is providing nearly £60,000 ($90,000 US) over the next two years for conservation in regions critical to the survival of the snow leopard.

Snow leopards are one of the most endangered big cats in the world. They are found across 12 Asian and Eurasian nations from Afghanistan to Bhutan, and experts believe that as few as 3,500 may still exist in the wild. WFN and NCF will focus on China, Mongolia and India—the three countries with the highest concentrations of the species.

Their joint project will focus on empowering local communities in each country to adopt a series of conservation measures, including environmental education, community‐based wildlife monitoring, anti‐poaching programmes, and cross‐collaboration between regional and national government offices. The project will be implemented together with leading national conservationists based at NCF, Shan Shui and Peking University in China, and the Snow Leopard Conservation Fund in Mongolia. The Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), recognized as the global leader in snow leopard conservation, will also participate in the project.

“This is the first large, multi‐country project of its kind for snow leopards,” says Dr. Charudutt Mishra, Trustee of NCF and Science and Conservation Director of the SLT, “and it’s a huge leap forward for the species.” Snow leopards are still relatively new to the conservation scene. The first photograph of a wild snow leopard wasn’t captured until the 1970s, and targeted efforts to protect the cats didn’t begin until the 1980s. Snow leopard conservation has lagged behind big campaigns like those set up for tigers, but Dr. Mishra hopes this project will change all that and says “with WFN, BBC and our other partners, we can finally produce the kind of in‐depth, multifaceted conservation systems necessary to save these cats.”

Georgina Domberger, Director of WFN, believes the project has global impact, one of the factors that gained WFN’s support: “It’s great to say you’re going to protect an endangered species—but what does that mean? We can’t save all of them at once, but we are coming up with a way to protect some of the most important population centres we can, and then we hope to build outwards from there.” WFN is also excited because they, like NCF, view snow leopards as a flagship species able to streamline and lead larger efforts in critical habitats. Domberger says “we all love snow leopards for their beauty and charisma, and since they are at the top of the wildlife pyramid, we know helping them will help the entire ecosystem.”

About NCF, WFN and BBCWF
NCF: Nature Conservation Foundation is one of India’s leading conservation organizations. Working across the country to preserve India’s wildlife, NCF has received the 2006 Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, a worldwide professional body devoted to advancing science and conservation of the earth’s biodiversity. NCF has become an important advisor to the Government and, in addition to coordinating Project Snow Leopard, a national program for snow leopard conservation across the Indian Himalayas, is represented in the Tiger Task Force, the Elephant Task Force, and the National Wildlife Advisory Board.

WFN: WFN is a UK registered charity working to locate and recognise some of the world’s most dynamic conservation leaders and support projects founded on proven science, community involvement and pragmatism. WFN champions passionate individuals who are committed to creating long‐lasting change and successful conservation results on the ground. Towards this aim and through a rigorous assessment process, WFN identifies effective local conservation leaders with the potential to have a global impact and celebrates them through Whitley Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious conservation prizes. To date, WFN has recognised the work of over 120 conservation leaders in 70 countries. Highlights from 2010’s grant report included the establishment of Peru’s first system of community‐led Marine Protected Areas, creation of a 500,000ha grassland biosphere reserve in Chihuahua, Mexico, and the news that 2007 Whitley Award winner Sandra Bessudo is to become Colombian Minister of Environment.

BBC Wildlife Fund: The Fund was founded by the BBC’s Natural History Unit (NHU) in May 2007. Following years of producing outstanding films about wildlife throughout the world and at the same time witnessing alarming declines in the populations of many of the animals filmed, the NHU wanted to address the plight of wildlife. The BBCWF was formed and its first live appeal programme, Saving Planet Earth, raised £1 million on the night. This was added to by donations throughout the year, raising a total of just under £2 million.

The BBC Wildlife Fund supports conservation action throughout the world. The BBC Wildlife Fund disburses donations through an open application grant process to programmes which have a track record of saving species. Grants are made to UK‐registered charities, broadly allocating 20 per cent of donations to projects conserving wildlife in the UK and 80 per cent of donations to projects outside the UK.

The BBC Wildlife Fund is a grant‐making charity, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, number 1119286, and is constituted as a company limited by guarantee, registered number 6238115.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8481483.htm

Snow leopard kills 68 goats in a single night in Gilgit

By Shabbir Mir
Published: May 27, 2011

GILGIT:
A lone snow leopard wrecked havoc in a remote valley of Gilgit one night, killing 68 goats in six separate incidents, officials said on Thursday. The attacks also left six goats critically injured.

The animal broke into the corrals at Dhee Village, Gojal near the Pak-China border before killing the goats, Rehman Posh, a conservationist working with the Khunjerab Village Organisation, told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

“Bodies of the animals were scattered all over the place after the incident,” said Posh, adding that the people got enraged over the depredation that inflicted a huge financial loss on them.

Giving the breakdown, Rehman Posh said that 23 of the goats belonged to Mirza Mohammad, 13 to Ali Baig, 12 to Bahadur, nine to Aslam, seven to Ghulam Rasool and four to Qalandar Shah.

Talking about the different organisations that are trying to protect the endangered species, a group of villagers said they were not satisfied with their “mere lip services”.

“We have submitted our complaints. But they just come to tell us the importance of the snow leopards. They never recompense the poor herders who bear the losses,” a farmer said.

DFO Wildlife, Ghulam Mohammad, while regretting the losses, said the communities will make them up by the fees obtained from trophy hunting of Ibex and Markhor. “Apart from the trophy hunting fee, 75 percent of the entry fee of Khunjerab National Park also goes to the communities, and we hope that the loss is somewhat covered up with this income,” he said.

Attacks of snow leopard on the goats are frequent in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) as conservations blame loss of habitat, climate change, and scarcity of food are some of the factors behind the belligerent attitude of the cat. Sources say about 100 animals have been killed by snow leopards in G-B in the past one year.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2011.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/176829/snow-leopard-kills-68-goats-in-a-single-night-in-gilgit/

Wildlife photos on the web: snow leopard photo popular

Wildlife on the web
K. JESHI

A number of online forums initiate one into the wonders of wildlife, photography and more

When wildlife photographer R. Prakash posted a photograph of a rare sighting of a male leopard and a melanistic (black) female leopard on India Nature Watch (INW), a popular online forum for wildlife photographers, there were 175 comments on it.

“Now, it is the photograph of a snow leopard which got 180 comments,” says Prakash. His photographs of tigers and leopards spotted at Ranthambore Sanctuary, Saras cranes at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, the great pied hornbill (the fast vanishing Indian hornbill) in the Anamalais and the Lion Tailed Macaques (LTMs) are all up on www.indianaturewatch.com. It is an educative forum where photographers log on and post their comments.

There is a treasure trove of information available online on wildlife, Nature and photography. INW is a non-commercial website that is a free online resource for nature lovers of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. The focus is on India.

On registering, users are given an email and a password. This allows them to log on and post pictures. Wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, office goers and students log on and share their experiences regularly. Users can showcase their images in the ‘Image Gallery Section’. There is also a ‘Discussion Forum’.

“If you post a query on, say, birds, other wildlife or even cameras, you get 100 replies instantly, which is motivating,” says Prakash, a regular at INW. A lot of professionals log on and post their comments. For wildlife enthusiasts, it becomes an addiction as it opens up the world of Nature. They also make friends, organise live events where they meet and enhance their awareness on wildlife.

The forum has various categories such as mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies, landscape and others. One can upload photographs there and the result is a collection of extraordinary images of wildlife from across India. Amateurs upload their photographs too.

“There is plenty of assistance to visit places throughout India, especially wildlife national parks and sanctuaries,” says Jayaprakash Ramanujam who has been into wildlife photography for over six years.

Websites such as www.toehold.com organise wildlife tours regularly. Most important, the website also rents out expensive cameras and lenses for those who can’t afford to buy them, he adds. His recent visits to Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh and Todaba Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra proved to be memorable, as he had gathered all the information, including places to stay from INW.

V. Ram Narayanan, an avid wildlife photographer for over two decades, says online forums enhance knowledge. “You have access to top class photographs. This helps you improve your own photographic skills immensely,” he says. The latest news and information about wildlife and technical expertise on photography are the added perks. His son Gaurav Ram Narayanan, a class VIII student, posts his Nature photographs and participates in online discussions.

INW documents Indian wildlife, fauna and flora, which makes it useful for beginners. “Photography is all about sharing. Immediate feedback is satisfying and the suggestions motivate you to work better. The information is reliable as renowned photographers participate in the forum,” Prakash explains. He will soon post the photographs of nine tigers he clicked at Bandhavgarh National Park.

Information on camera equipment and lenses are available too at the click of the mouse. A website on creative photography run by members of INW talks about how to approach a photograph creatively. And, there is more.

KNOW MORE

www.indianaturewatch.com

Index

http://www.creativenaturephotography.net

www.indianaturewatch.com

Index

http://www.creativenaturephotography.net

Keywords: wildlife, online forums, wildlife photographers

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2028993.ece