Abstract: This study was part of an expedition to the Altai Mountains in the Kosh Agach region of the Altai Republic, run by Biosphere Expeditions from 28 June to 7 August 2010. The aim was to continue a survey of snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in this area, as well as surveying the snow leopard's primary prey species, argali (Ovis ammon) and Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica), together with secondary prey species. Using the Snow Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS) developed by the International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT), presence/absence surveys (SLIMS form 1) of snow leopard and prey species were conducted throughout the study period across the entire survey area. In 2010 surveys were extended to areas away from the Talduair massif site to valleys and surrounding ridges of the Karaghem mountain pass. Interviews with local, semi-nomadic herders also formed an important part of the research procedure. The expedition also collected data for extended mammal, bird and plant inventories. No signs of snow leopard presence were recorded this year and there was no indication that the areas had been visited and used since the 2009 expedition. The developing relationship between the predator and prey species seems to be very fragile, so perhaps the decline in the prey species (particularly argali) may have driven the snow leopard out of the area. In addition, human disturbance is considered to be a severe and growing threat and may be responsible for the declining mammal diversity in general. Yet the study area still retains its importance as a habitat for snow leopard and as a corridor for snow leopard dispersal. The survey area urgently needs protection, but involving the local community and raising public awareness is vital if conservation initiatives are to succeed. Work on establishing four additional nature parks in the Republic of Tuva and the Sailugem Nature Reserve in the Republic of Altai, which will protect the biggest Russian population of the snow leopard, is in progress.

Abstract: An inverse relationship between individual vigilance level and group size is widely reported in many behavioral studies on animals across several taxa. It is generally held that such a relationship is due to a reduced probability of an individual being killed in larger groups. in the present investigation, I studied the vigilance behavior of the endangered Tibetan argali Ovis ammon hodgsoni in relation to group size and escape terrain. I hypothesized that an individual argali has a higher vigilance level in smaller groups and in habitats closer to cliffs than individuals living in larger groups and open areas (escape terrain). The results show that the vigilance of argali decreased with increasing group size, but there was no effect of escape terrain on its vigilance behavior. There were significant differences between age-sex groups: male, female and yearling in their time budgets. Females, compared to males and yearlings, spent more time being vigilant. They also foraged more and moved less than males. It is suggested that vigilance is an important anti-predator behavior amongst argali sheep.

Abstract: One of the major transformations to have impacted children across the world in the last few decades is an impoverished natural environment in their immediate vicinity leading to reduction or complete disappearance of direct contact and experience of nature irrespective of whether the child lives in urban or rural areas. This combined with the breakdown or degradation of the socio-cultural institutional mechanisms for the transfer of local knowledge about wildlife and our links with our bio-physical world has severely influenced the awareness of nature among today’s children.

Abstract: Knowledge of the basic reproductive physiology of snow leopards is required urgently in order to develop a suitable management conditions under captivity. In this study, the long-term monitoring of concentrations of three steroid hormones in fecal matter of three female snow leopards was performed using enzyme immunoassays: (1) estradiol-17&#946;, (2) progesterone and (3) cortisol metabolite. Two of the female animals were housed with a male during the winter breeding season, and copulated around the day the estradiol-17&#946; metabolite peaked subsequently becoming pregnant. The other female was treated in two different ways: (1) first housed with a male in all year round and then (2) in the winter season only. She did not mate with him on the first occasion, but did so latter around when estradiol-17&#946; metabolite peaked, and became pseudopregnant. During pregnancy, progesterone metabolite concentrations increased for 92 or 94 days, with this period being approximately twice as long as in the pseudopregnant case (31, 42, 49 and 53 days). The levels of cortisol metabolite in the pseudopregnant female (1.35 µg/g) were significantly higher than in the pregnant females (0.33 and 0.24 µg/g) (P<0.05). Similarly, during the breeding season, the levels of estradiol-17&#946; metabolite in the pseudopregnant female (2.18 µg/g) were significantly higher than those in the pregnant females (0.81 and 0.85 µg/g) (P<0.05). Unlike cortisol the average levels of estradiol-17&#946; during the breeding season were independent of reproductive success.
The hormone levels may also be related to housing conditions and the resulting reproductive success in female leopards. The female housed with a male during the non-breeding season had high levels of cortisol metabolites and low levels of estradiol-17&#946; in the breeding season, and failed to become pregnant. This indicates that housing conditions in snow leopards may be an important factor for normal endocrine secretion and resulting breeding success.