Abstract: Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are elusive predators inhabiting high-altitude and mountainous rugged habitats. The current study was conducted in the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve, Gansu Province, China, to assess the habitat suitability of snow leopards and identify key environmental factors inducing their distribution. Field data collected between 2019 and 2022 through scat sampling and camera trapping techniques provided insights into snow leopard habitat preferences. Spatial distribution and cluster analyses show distinct hotspots of high habitat suitability, mostly concentrated near mountainous landscapes. While altitude remains a critical determinant, with places above 3300 m showing increased habitat suitability, other factors such as soil type, human footprint, forest cover, prey availability, and human disturbance also play important roles. These variables influence ecological dynamics and are required to assess and manage snow leopard habitats. The MaxEnt model has helped us to better grasp these issues, particularly the enormous impact of human activities on habitat suitability. The current study highlights the importance of altitude in determining snow leopard habitat preferences and distribution patterns in the reserve. Furthermore, the study underscores the significance of considering elevation in conservation planning and management strategies for snow leopards, particularly in mountainous regions. By combining complete environmental data with innovative modeling tools, this study not only improves local conservation efforts but also serves as a model for similar wildlife conservation initiatives around the world. By understanding the environmental factors driving snow leopard distribution, conservation efforts can be more efficiently directed to ensure the long-term survival of this endangered species. This study provides valuable insights for evidence-based conservation efforts to safeguard the habitats of snow leopards amidst emerging anthropogenic pressure and environmental fluctuations.

Abstract: Surveying snow leopard prey species such as argali, ibex or blue sheep through traditional ground-based observations is time-consuming, expensive, and challenging. Aerial drones present a promising alternative. We tested using thermal-sensor- equipped drones to count ungulate populations in Mongolia’s Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, surveying ~400km of transects along five fixed routes for forty-three missions. Drones detected 235 prey animals and 209 livestock; 26% of all sightings were in areas that would not have been visible to hypothetical ground-based observers. Our tests reinforced the utility of drones for counting snow leopard prey and highlighted important issues and future advances for supporting largely autonomous prey surveys. We recommend biologists build upon existing technology to attain an inexpensive, easy to use, and field ready set of equipment and procedures that can reliably improve or replace traditional transect or point count methods for large prey species.

Abstract: Adaptations to arid environments, involving strategies to conserve and utilize water, are vital for wildlife. Water availability in these regions depends on seasonal rainfall, and subsequently affect species distribution and behavior. This note documents a snow leopard (Panthera uncia) in the Tost Mountains of southern Mongolia digging for water, a previously undocumented behavior. The first author identified evidence of snow leopards digging for water. Camera traps were then used in an attempt to document this behavior. Unique pelt patterns identified one snow leopard digging for water in the summer of 2022, with drinking observed. Other species also drank at the site, suggesting snow leopards could act as ecological engineers by providing water for other species. Four other snow leopards were observed to visit the site in the late fall, winter, and early spring of 2022 and 2023. These snow leopards did not dig or drink, but this may largely have been related to subzero temperatures (-15°C to -30°C) and the ground being frozen for most of this period. The snow leopard digging for and exposing water may help to support biodiversity in desert ecosystems. However, further research is needed to determine its prevalence and impact. Understanding these strategies is crucial for conservation, especially with increasing droughts and extreme weather in arid landscapes.

Abstract: Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) inhabit the mountainous regions of High Asia, which experienced serial glacial contraction and expansion during climatic cycles of the Pleistocene. The corresponding impacts of glacial vicariance may have alternately promoted or constrained genetic differentiation to shape the distribution of genetic lineages and population structure. We studied snow leopard phylogeography across High Asia by examining range-wide historical and contemporary genetic structure with mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers. We genotyped 182 individuals from across snow leopard range and sequenced portions of the mitogenome in a spatially stratified subset of 80 individuals to infer historical biogeographic and contemporary patterns of genetic diversity. We observed a lack of phylogeographic structure, and analyses suggested a single refugial origin for all sampled populations. Molecular data provided tentative evidence of a hypothesized glacial refugia in the Tian Shan-Pamir-Hindu Kush-Karakoram mountain ranges, and detected mixed signatures of population expansion. Concordant assessments of microsatellite data indicated two global genetic populations, though we detected geographic differences between historical and contemporary population structure and connectivity inferred from mitochondrial and microsatellite data, respectively. Using the largest sample size and geographic coverage to date, we demonstrate novel information on the phylogeographic history of snow leopards, and corroborate existing interpretations of snow leopard connectivity and genetic structure. We recommend that conservation efforts incorporate genetic data to define and protect meaningful conservation units and their underlying genetic diversity, and to maintain the snow leopard’s adaptive potential and continued resilience to environmental changes.

Abstract: Environmental education can efficiently engage individuals in addressing environmental challenges and promote collaboration among stakeholders. The aim of this paper was to understand how children participating in eco-camps perceived nature and the environment. Additionally, we aim to share our experiences from eight years of eco-camp activities conducted for sixth-grade students (aged 12-13 years) in the Gobi region of southern Mongolia. The program utilized active learning in snow leopard habitats. We used creative expressions, specifically write-ups such as poems, to capture the children's perceptions and feelings about nature. The findings revealed that the children participating in the program conveyed a sense of awe for nature and awareness of ecosystem services. Feedback from parents and teachers indicated that the program was effective at creating positive changes in the childrenʼs behavior. While short-term outcomes were evident, further investigation into the long-term sustainability of these changes are needed.

Abstract: The current study presents data on the immobilization and physiological responses of 26 distressed free-ranging snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in the trans-Himalayan regions of Ladakh, India, spanning three years from October 2020 to December 2023. Ketamine and xylazine were utilized in a drug mixture
for rescue, rehabilitation, health assessment, and other capture purposes, with average doses of 6.535 ± 0.93 mgkg−1 and 1.937 ± 0.41 mgkg−1 of body weight, respectively. The average induction occurred at 3.85 ± 1.8 min. Respiratory rate, rectal temperature, and heart rate were monitored periodically post-induction, all remaining within clinically acceptable ranges. Following an average recumbency period of 70.69 ± 16.56 min, immobilizations were reversed using intramuscular injections of Yohimbine at 0.147 ± 0.03 mgkg−1 of body weight, leading to complete recovery within an average time of 24.92 ± 7.08 min. Our findings suggest that the ketamine and xylazine mixture represents a safe and effective method for immobilizing snow leopards, particularly in emergency scenarios.

Abstract: It provides general information about the Kyrgyz state nature park ®Ala-Archa", its physico-geographical features, relief, landscape zoning, and description of flora and fauna. Snow leopard, Tien-Shan brown bear, ibex (more than 300 animals), porcupine, stone marten, ermine, and marmot, etc. are mentioned as the most interesting animals.

Abstract: Two adult snow leopards (Panthera uncia), male and female, both with vaccinations current, became infected with feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) at the Blank Park Zoo, Des Moines, Iowa, in late 1988. Clinical signs included weakness, hemorrhagic feces, fever, seizures, and nasal discharge. Blood analysis revealed severe lymphopenia and mild anemia. A positive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for FPV on fecal contents from the male leopard confirmed the diagnosis. In spite of intensive therapy, both animals died. Necropsy of the female, which survived for 1 wk after onset of signs, revealed intestinal crypt necrosis, pulmonary consolidation, necrotizing laryngitis, and diffuse lymphoid depletion. The male leopard, which lived 3 wk after onset of illness, had similar enteric and lymphoid lesions. In addition, there was a severe interstitial pneumonia, with syncytial cells containing eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Ultrastructural characteristics of these inclusions featured tubular structures consistent with a paramyxovirus. Although repeated virus isolation attempts from the affected lung were negative, polyclonal and monoclonal fluorescent antibody tests were strongly positive for canine distemper virus (CDV). Frozen paired sera from each leopard demonstrated very high acute and convalescing titers to FPV; both animals also seroconverted to CDV, with titers in the male leopard higher than those in the female. Additional tests for toxoplasmosis, feline infectious peritonitis, feline rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, feline leukemia, canine parainfluenza, and bovine respiratory syncytial virus were all negative. The neurologic signs present in these leopards remained unexplained, but may have been attributable to CDV infection. A feral cat trapped on zoo property had feces positive for FPV by ELISA. Although the specific contributions of FPV and CDV toward the development of this case are unknown, it is likely that initial FPV-induced immunosuppression allowed the subsequent development of CDV in these snow leopards. The likelihood that initial FPV infection came from feral cats underscores the importance of feral animal control on zoo premises.