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Kovshar A.F. (1982). A problem of rare and endangered animal species in Kazakhstan.
Abstract: The Red Book of the Kazakh SSR includes 91 rare and endangered vertebrate animal species: 30 mammal, 48 bird, eight reptile, one amphibian, and four fish species. 26 species (Menzbier's marmot, marten species, lynx, snow leopard, and other species) became rare because of a direct anthropogenic pressure. The prohibition of hunting, conservation and rehabilitation of their habitats, reproduction in enclosures and preservation of some species' genomes is a way that would conserve rare species, the authors believe.
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Koshkarev E.P. (1989). Snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan. The structure of habitat, ecology, protection.
Abstract: Habitat, status of population, geographical distribution, number, and ecology of snow leopard in Tien Shan are analyzed based on original realistic material collected 1981 through 1988.Information about irbis in the `foreign' part of its habitat is given for comparison. The reasons for snow leopard habitat shrinkage in Central Asia and Kazakhstan for over 100 years are assessed. Status of ungulate populations snow leopard prey on is given. The predator's behavioral pattern and condition in enclosure are given consideration. Protection measures are proposed.
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Han, X. M., D. G., Zhang, E., Jones, M., and Jin, T.. (2001). Far eastern leopard and Siberian tiger conservation measures. (pp. 102–103). Harbin: Widlife Conservation Society.
Abstract: Workshop to develop a recovery plan for the wild north China tiger population. October 20th to 23th, 2000, Harbin.
Like the Siberian Tiger, the Far Eastern Leopard is one of China's largest Felidae and lives mainly in the eastern mountains of Jilin Province. The number of leopards is very low and it is even more endangered than the tiger. There is a very close relationship between leopard and tiger conservation, especially in areas where overlap occurs. In these areas, special emphasis has to be placed on each of the species' specific conservation needs. There is urgent need to step up our efforts to study and monitor leopard populations and to develop a conservation strategy. This document contains information of the status and main threats of the Far Eastern leopard and makes recommendations on needed conservation measures.
Keywords: CCT, conservation, conservation needs, conservation strategy, distribution, Jilin Province, leopard, monitoring, Panthera pardus, Panthera tigris, poaching, recovery, Recovery plan, snow
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Chadwick, D. H. (2008). Out of the Shadows: The elusive Central Asian snow leopard steps into a. National geographic, 213(6), 106–129.
Abstract: The elusive Central Asian snow leopard steps into a risk-filled future.
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Filla, M., Lama, R. P., Ghale, T. R., Signer, J., Filla, T., Aryal, R. R., Heurich, M., Waltert, M., Balkenhol, N., Khorozyan, I. (2020). In the shadows of snow leopards and the Himalayas: density and habitat selection of blue sheep in Manang, Nepal. Ecology and Evolution, 2021(11), 108–122.
Abstract: There is a growing agreement that conservation needs to be proactive and pay increased attention to common species and to the threats they face. The blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) plays a key ecological role in sensitive high-altitude ecosystems of Central Asia and is among the main prey species for the globally vulnerable snow leopard (Panthera uncia). As the blue sheep has been increasingly exposed to human pressures, it is vital to estimate its population dynamics, protect the key populations, identify important habitats, and secure a balance between conservation and local livelihoods. We conducted a study in Manang, Annapurna Conservation Area (Nepal), to survey blue sheep on 60 transects in spring (127.9 km) and 61 transects in autumn (134.7 km) of 2019, estimate their minimum densities from total counts, compare these densities with previous estimates, and assess blue sheep habitat selection by the application of generalized additive models (GAMs). Total counts yielded minimum density estimates of 6.0–7.7 and 6.9–7.8 individuals/km2 in spring and autumn, respectively, which are relatively high compared to other areas. Elevation and, to a lesser extent, land cover indicated by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) strongly affected habitat selection by blue sheep, whereas the effects of anthropogenic variables were insignificant. Animals were found mainly in habitats associated with grasslands and shrublands at elevations between 4,200 and 4,700 m. We show that the blue sheep population size in Manang has been largely maintained over the past three decades, indicating the success of the integrated conservation and development efforts in this area. Considering a strong dependence of snow leopards on blue sheep, these findings give hope for the long-term conservation of this big cat in Manang. We suggest that long-term population monitoring and a better understanding of blue sheep–livestock interactions are crucial to maintain healthy populations of blue sheep and, as a consequence, of snow leopards.
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Cunha, S. F. (1997). Hunting of Rare and Endangered Fauna in the Mountains of Post-Soviet Central Asia. In R.Jackson, & A.Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 110–120). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Chundawat, R. S., Rodgers W.A., & Panwar, H. S. (1988). Status Report on Snow Leopard in India. In H.Freeman (Ed.), (pp. 113–120). Srinagar, India: International Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India.
Abstract: Gives status and distribution of snow leopards in India primarely based on sightings and kills.
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Blomqvist, L. (1980). Distribution and Status of the Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia). Tiger Paper, Vii(4), 115–120.
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Jackson, R., & Fox, J. L. (1997). Snow Leopard Conservation: Accomplishments and Research Priorities. In R.Jackson, & A.Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 128–144). Pakistan: Islt.
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Jiang, Z., Diqiang, & Wang, Z. (2000). Population declines of Przewalski's gazelle around Qinghai Lake, China. Oryx, 34(2), 129–135.
Abstract: Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii is endemic to China and is classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Historically, the species occurred in parts of the provinces of Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Qinghai but now appears to be restricted to three populations around Qinghai Lake. These three populations-Bird Island, Hudong-Ketu and Yuanzhe-have all declined since 1988. The populations have been monitored since 1994 and the smallest, on Bird Island, appears to be on the brink of extinction, with only seven individuals being recorded in 1998. In the same year, the Hudong- Ketu population comprised 56 individuals (29.4 per cent males, 50 per cent females and 21 per cent juveniles) and the Yuanzhe population 51 individuals (29.4 per cent males, 43.1 per cent females and 27.5 per cent juveniles). The causes of the declines vary for each population but include loss of habitat as a result of desertification, poaching and, possibly, wolf predation. Human activity and high juvenile mortality are major threats to the continued survival of the gazelle. Conservation measures proposed are: (i) the establishment of a special reserve for Przewalski's gazelle; (ii) a study of the wolf-gazelle relationship and control of the number of wolves if necessary; (iii) a search for remnant populations of Przewalski's gazelle in other regions in their historical range and the identification of suitable sites for translocation and establishment of new populations.
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Forrest, J. L., Wikramanayake, E., Shrestha, R., Areendran, G., Gyeltshen, K., Maheshwari, A., Mazumdar, S., Naidoo, R., Thapa, G. J., Thapa, K. (2012). Conservation and climate change: Assessing the vulnerability of snow leopard habitat to treeline shift in the Himalaya. Biological Conservation, 150, 129–135.
Abstract: Climate change is likely to affect the persistence of large, space-requiring species through habitat shifts,
loss, and fragmentation. Anthropogenic land and resource use changes related to climate change can also
impact the survival of wildlife. Thus, climate change has to be integrated into biodiversity conservation
plans. We developed a hybrid approach to climate-adaptive conservation landscape planning for snow
leopards in the Himalayan Mountains. We first mapped current snow leopard habitat using a mechanistic
approach that incorporated field-based data, and then combined it with a climate impact model using a
correlative approach. For the latter, we used statistical methods to test hypotheses about climatic drivers
of treeline in the Himalaya and its potential response to climate change under three IPCC greenhouse gas
emissions scenarios. We then assessed how change in treeline might affect the distribution of snow leopard
habitat. Results indicate that about 30% of snow leopard habitat in the Himalaya may be lost due to a
shifting treeline and consequent shrinking of the alpine zone, mostly along the southern edge of the range
and in river valleys. But, a considerable amount of snow leopard habitat and linkages are likely to remain
resilient to climate change, and these should be secured. This is because, as the area of snow leopard habitat
fragments and shrinks, threats such as livestock grazing, retaliatory killing, and medicinal plant collection
can intensify. We propose this approach for landscape conservation planning for other species
with extensive spatial requirements that can also be umbrella species for overall biodiversity.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
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Brown, M. (1997). Community-Based Natural Resources Management in Snow Leopard Habitat. In R.Jackson, & A.Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 146–147). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Ahmad, A. (1997). Community-Based Natural Resources Management in Northern Pakistan. In R.Jackson and A.Ahmad (Ed.), (pp. 148–154). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Koshkarev E. (2001). About snow leopard (Vol. Vol. 8.).
Abstract: In 1980-s, in Central Asia there were 1,500-1,700 snow leopards: 800-900 in Kyrgyzstan, 500 in Tajikistan, 200 in Kazakhstan, and 100 in Uzbekistan. During the last century the number of snow leopard was constantly decreasing, though a its drastic reduction was observed after the collapse of the Soviet Union because of increased poaching for snow leopard and its objects of prey. The highest level of poaching was observed to occur in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan's population of snow leopard reduced to 200 animals. A decrease of snow leopard number in other parts of its habitat with less intense hunting (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, south-west Kyrgyzstan) was mostly because of depletion of food resources (population of ungulates reduced five eight times). The reasons are corruption and unemployment. In order to improve the situation it is required to improve regulatory framework and replicate existing positive experience in economic motivation of nature protection activities.
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Abdusalyamov I.A. (1972). A perspective development of fur-animal farming and fish industry in the Tajik SSR.
Abstract: Given are data concerning fur-trade in Tajikistan in 1962 1966. Snow leopard trade reduced from 54 animals (1962) to 12 (1966). Given are recommendations for the establishment of a highland nature reserve in Pamir and the Sary Khosor nature reserve in the Vakhsh ridge.
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Ale, S. B. (1997). The Annapurna Conservation Area Project: A Case Study of an Integrated Conservation and Development Project in Nepal. In R. Jackson, & A. Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 155–169). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Mehta, J., & Heinen, J. T. (2001). Does community-based conservation shape favorable attitudes among locals? An empirical study from Nepal. Environmental Management, 28(2), 165–177.
Abstract: Like many developing countries, Nepal has adopted a community-based conservation (CBC) approach in recent years to manage its protected areas mainly in response to poor park-people relations. Among other things, under this approach the government has created new “people-oriented” conservation areas, formed and devolved legal authority to grassroots-level institutions to manage local resources, fostered infrastructure development, promoted tourism, and provided income-generating trainings to local people. Of interest to policy-makers and resource managers in Nepal and worldwide is whether this approach to conservation leads to improved attitudes on the part of local people. It is also important to know if personal costs and benefits associated with various intervention programs, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics influence these attitudes. We explore these questions by looking at the experiences in Annapurna and Makalu-Baran Conservation Areas, Nepal, which have largely adopted a CBC approach in policy formulation, planning, and management. The research was conducted during 1996 and 1997; the data collection methods included random household questionnaire surveys, informal interviews, and review of official records and published literature. The results indicated that the majority of local people held favorable attitudes toward these conservation areas. Logistic regression results revealed that participation in training, benefit from tourism, wildlife depredation issue, ethnicity, gender, and education level were the significant predictors of local attitudes in one of the other conservation area. We conclude that the CBC approach has potential to shape favorable local attitudes and that these attitudes will be mediated by some personal attributes.
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Shi, K., Jun, Z. F. S., Zhigang, D., Riordan, P., & MacDonald, D. (2009). Reconfirmation of snow leopards in Taxkurgan Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Oryx, 43(2), 169–170.
Abstract: China may hold a greater proportion of the global snow leopard Panthera uncia population than any other country, with the area of good quality suitable habitat, estimated at nearly 300,000 km2, comprising .50% of that available across the species' entire range. We can now reconfirm the presence of snow leopard in the Taxkurgan area of Xinjiang Province in north-west China after a period of 20 years.
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Gurung, C. P. (1997). Ecotourism: Nepal's Experience. In R.Jackson, & A.Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 170–177). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Ferguson, D. A. (1997). International Cooperation for Snow Leopard and Biodiversity Conservation: The Government Perspective. In R.Jackson, & A.Ahmad (Eds.), (pp. 178–193). Lahore, Pakistan: Islt.
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Schaller, G. B., Jurang, R., & Mingjiang, Q. (1988). Status of snow leopard (Panthera-uncia) in Qinghai-Province and Gansu Province-China. Biological Conservation, 45(3), 179–194.
Abstract: The status and distribution of the snow leopard Panthera uncia was investigated in two provinces of China. The cats occur over about 65,000km2 or 9% of the Qinghai Province, and in a few places along the western edge of Gansu Province. In many areas the animals have in recent decades been decimated or locally eradicated, as have their prey. Counts of wild ungulates in 9 mountain block, totalling 1375km2, known for abundant wildlife, had an average of 1.4-5.4 animals km2, principally blue sheep Psuedois nayaur, which together with marmot Marmota himalayana, represent the snow leopards main prey. Possibly 650 snow leopards survive in Qinghai but shooting and trapping of this legally protected animal and the hunting of blue sheep for local consumtion and export threaten their existence.
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Oli, M. K. (1996). Seasonal patterns in habitat use of blue sheep Pseudois nayaur (Artiodactyla, Bovidae) in Nepal. Mammalia, 60(2), 187–193.
Abstract: Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) are the main prey of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia) as well as an important game species in Nepal. A knowledge of how blue sheep utilize their habitat is essential for the scientific management of the sheep and for the conservation of the snow leopard, but we only have a limited understanding of this aspect of blue sheep ecology. I studied the habitat use pattern of blue sheep by direct observation in the Anna-purna Conservation Area, Nepal where they occur sympatrically with the snow leopard. The sheep used grassland habitats more frequently during pre-parturition (spring) and post-parturition (autumn) than other habitat types, but scrub and grassland habitats were used equally frequently during the rut (winter). The sheep used smooth undulating slopes of medium steepness (<40 degrees) on southerly aspects within the elevation range of 4,200-4,600 m most frequently in all seasons, and there was no evidence of seasonal migration along the elevation gradient. When not in broken landforms (e.g., cliff, landslides), the sheep maintained proximity (less than or equal to 150 m) to such features suggesting their importance as escape cover (i.e., from predators). The use of habitat components by blue sheep appeared to be related to the distribution of foraging areas and escape cover.
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Li, J., McCarthy, T. M., Wang, H., Weckworth, B. V., Shaller, G. B., Mishra, C., Lu, Z., Beissinger, S. R. (2016). Climate refugia of snow leopards in High Asia. Biological Conservation, (203), 188–196.
Abstract: Rapidwarming in High Asia is threatening its unique ecosystemand endemic species, especially the endangered
snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Snow leopards inhabit the alpine zone between snow line and tree line, which
contracts and expands greatly during glacier-interglacial cycles. Here we assess impacts of climate change on
global snow leopard habitat from the last glacial maximum (LGM; 21 kyr ago) to the late 21st century. Based
on occurrence records of snow leopards collected across all snow leopard range countries from 1983 to 2015,
we built a snow leopard habitat model using the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt 3.3.3k). Then we
projected this model into LGM, mid-Holocene and 2070. Analysis of snow leopard habitat map from LGM to
2070 indicates that three large patches of stable habitat have persisted from the LGM to present in the Altai,
Qilian, and Tian Shan-Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram mountain ranges, and are projected to persist through the
late 21st century. These climatically suitable areas account for about 35% of the snow leopard's current extent,
are large enough to support viable populations, and should function as refugia for snow leopards to survive
through both cold and warm periods. Existence of these refugia is largely due to the unique mountain environment
in High Asia, which maintains a relatively constant arid or semi-arid climate. However, habitat loss leading
to fragmentation in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains, as well as increasing human activities, will present
conservation challenges for snow leopards and other sympatric species.
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Jackson, R. M. (1979). Snow Leopards in Nepal. Oryx, 15, 191–195.
Abstract: Reviews in detail occurence, status, and conservation measures related to snow leopards in Nepal. Estimates 150-300 snow leopards in Nepal. Local hunters can get 10 to 50 US dollars for a pelt
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Wemmer, C., & Sunquist, M. (1988). Felid Reintroductions: Economic and Energetic Considerations. In H.Freeman (Ed.), (pp. 193–205). India: International Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India.
Abstract: Reintroduction and captive breeding are often touted as panaceas for extinction in the wild. The populace at large, educated insuch matters by the mass media, places great faith in such wildlife technology. Furthermore, the wildlife professionals who develope recovery and managemnt plans for endangered species often include a section on reintroduction and sometimes advocate captive breeding as a source of colonizing stock.
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