Author: sln_g5rd8x

Smartphone app developed to identify illegal wildlife products

A WCS scientist has developed a smartphone app that helps law enforcement and military personnel identify illegal endangered species products in China, Afghanistan, and Viet Nam. The app allows the user to narrow the product down to the likely species, and also provides advice from expert taxonomists in eight hours. Heidi Kretser thought of the app after seeing US military personnel in Afghanistan purchasing illegal products including snow leopard furs.

For more details, see http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/10/09/smartphone-apps-lets-cops-track-down-illegal-wildlife-products

Source: takepart.com

Snow Leopard photographed catching marmot

Snow Leopard Trust trap cameras have captured images of a snow leopard catching a marmot in Kyrgyzstan.

For more information or to see the pictures as a time-lapse video, see http://www.snowleopard.org/snow-leopard-marmot?utm_source=Snow+Leopard+Trust+Enews&utm_campaign=b52bfdc6fd-2014_Enews_October&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cc286e56f5-b52bfdc6fd-90187233&goal=0_cc286e56f5-b52bfdc6fd-90187233&mc_cid=b52bfdc6fd&mc_eid=285c1ab674

Snow Leopard Spotted in Upper Manang Village

Residents of Upper Manang Village in Nepal have reportedly sighted a snow leopard, which took a yak calf. This is the first time a snow leopard is thought to have entered the village. A local resident is quoted as feeling lucky to have had the opportunity to see a snow leopard, which is a positive reaction, considering a yak was taken.

For more information, see: http://www.ekantipur.com/2014/10/01/national/snow-leopard-spotted-in-upper-manang-village/395876.html

Source: ekantipur.com

SL Conservation Grants Recipients Finish First Phase of Project

Congratulations to a group of Snow Leopard Conservation Grants recipients, who have successfully completed the first phase of their population survey in the Almaty State Reserve, and had an article about their work published in the Astana Times. The full article is available here:

http://www.astanatimes.com/2014/09/international-team-finishes-first-phase-snow-leopard-conservation-project/

Please note the misprint – they were awarded $15,000 in Snow Leopard COoservation Grants funding.

First Pictures of Kyrgyzstan’s Snow Leopards

SLN member organisation the Snow Leopard Trust recently released the first ever camera trap photos of snow leopards from Kyrgyzstan, which were captured as part of a snow leopard population assessment that they are conducting.

For more information and to see the pictures, please see http://www.snowleopard.org/first-pictures-of-kyrgyzstans-snow-leopards?pid=111&pageid=7598

Snow Leopards Photographed by Trap Camera in Pakistan

Richard Bischof of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and SLN member Muhammad Ali Nawaz of the Snow Leopard Foundation of Pakistan are conducting a Pakistani snow leopard study using scat analysis and camera trapping. Their results so far have recently been published a report in the journal, Methods in Ecology and Evolution.

For more information and to see the photos, please see http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140125-snow-leopard-pakistan-animals-science-world-endangered-species/

Snow Leopard Conservation and Research Facility Planned in Spiti

The Himachal Pradesh State Wildlife Department and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is setting up a research centre that will serve as a base for a long-term radio collaring project.

For more information, see http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/HP-to-launch-snow-leopard-research-conservation-facility-in-Spiti/articleshow/29174501.cms