Abstract: Given is a general characteristic of fauna complexes in the mountains of Central Asia (Jungar Ala-Tau, Tien Shan, Hissar Alai, Kopet-Dag), peculiarities of animal distribution in association with folded mountain relief, vertical zoning, anthropogenic influence and importance of mountain fauna for human beings. It provides a description of main animal groups and is an effort of zoning fauna of the mountains of Central Asia.

Abstract: The most vulnerable key areas within the snow leopard habitat are East Kazakhstan (an area of 48,000 square km) with no protected areas network established, and South Siberia (131,000 square km), where snow leopard is protected in three nature reserves. These areas are distant from main part of the habitat, isolated and have more extreme conditions. In Central Asia's key area (213,000 square km) linked to a main Chinese-Afghani part of the habitat, snow leopard was found in 11 nature reserves and two national parks. For reliable protection of this species it would be expedient to strengthen the role of the mountain nature reserves by means of extension and amalgamation of the areas, and other measures.

Abstract: It provides geobotanic and zoogeographic description of vertical landscape zoning. Particularly, in alpine meadows and meadow steppes and partially zone of mountain plateau (“syrt”) of highland, the common species are argali (Ovis ammon poloi), ibex (Capra sibirica sakeen), snow leopard (Felis uncia), Tien Shan bear (Ursus arctos leuconyx), and red pica; very numerous are marmots and vole (Microtus gregalis). The bird fauna includes Himalayan snow-cock (Tetraogallus himalayensis), Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), chough (P. pyrrhocorax), horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), rosefinch species. There are many waterfowl birds on the lakes. There are many Central Asian, particularly Tibetan species among the animals inhabiting highlands of the Tien Shan.

Abstract: It describes geographical, soil, climatic and hydrological features of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Types of economic activities including fur-trade are described, too. Game preserves are classified, and list of game fauna species inhabiting these republics is given. Snow leopard lives in rocky mountains and is hunted very rarely.

Abstract: A high percentage of rare species in Central Asia experience limited conditions for distribution. Geographic centers with higher species diversity are generally constrained in terms of territory: they are formed when ranges overlap. But in Central Asia and along its borders with Russia, centers of biodiversity overlap at the very marginal edges of ranges. Central Asian species cross into Russian territory, where desert and steppe are replaced by thick forest. Here the northern borders of their ranges are sharply fragmented and isolated. Typical examples for Central Asia are the ranges of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), Asian leopard (Panthera pardus caucasica), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Bukhara deer (Census elaphus bactrianus), markhor (Capra falconeri), blue sheep (Pseudois nayauf) and argali (Ovis ammon). In Russia are the Altai subspecies of argali, the Siberian argali (O.a.ammon), the mountain goat (Capra sibirica), Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), Pallas' cat (Felis manul), dhole (Cuon alpinus), grey marmot (Marmota baibacina), Mongolian marmot (M. sibirica) and tolai hare (Lepus tolai). Where the numbers o f individuals has fallen to extreme lows, the most effective mechanism for species survival may be supporting the integrity of ranges, in order to preserve population exchanges between neighboring groups. The geographic location of reserves and other protected territories is vitally important for the survival of Central Asian species, given the acute fragmentation of their ranges. These reserves should include significant, viable centers of population the key places. Wherever the creation of permanent protected territories is impossible, a new tactic must be found, such as introducing temporary limitations on the use of land for agriculture and hunting. But all protected territories, whether temporary or permanent, should be connected, forming a core and periphery. The marginal range areas must not be forgotten, if total protection of endangered populations is to be accomplished.

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.

Abstract: The landscape and biologic diversity of Central Asia's mountains are described. Different types of fauna complexes are segregated. Snow leopard, dhole, and ibex are referred to Central Asia's highland species.

Abstract: It describes identification features of the Felidae family species (ItŒ¤ŒlŒbus, A¤inŒn¢o, L¢no, Oigris, D…rdus, Uncia, r†m…†lurus, ¥…a…¤…l, ¥atolynx, Felis): colour, body size and skull length, length of limbs, presence or absence of ear-brushes, cheek-bones width, nasal bones, palatine bone, rapacious tooth, and acoustical capsules.

Abstract: Identification features of the sub-genus Uncia (colour; length of body and tail; shoulder height, and skull measurements) are given. Distribution, habitat, way of life, reproduction biology, behavioural patterns, migration routes, commercial value of snow leopard in the USSR is described.

Abstract: This Newcastle University Expedition reviewed the conflict between man and snow leopard in the region east of Tekeli in the Dzhungarian Alatau range, Kazakhstan. After the soviet state breakup in 1991 snow leopards in Kazakhstan and in the other Asian republics were subjected to high levels of persecution. There are thought to be between 180-200 snow leopards in Kazakhstan, of which 37-40 individuals inhabit the Dzhungarian Mountains. No work has been done previously to review the present snow leopard-human conflicts in this region, and this project looked to update previous reports from Central Asia about predominant conflicts in these regions. The expedition team worked with the Institute of Zoology in Kazakhstan and two of the six person team were Kazakh students. Methods comparable to those used in previous studies were used to map and rank the threats in the western area of the range, over an eight week period. The expedition team lived in the mountains for periods of two-three weeks, carrying all their food and equipment and using local vehicles, horses and trekking to move from pasture to pasture. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and prey counts were used to assess snow leopard-human conflicts including poaching of snow leopard, poaching of leopard wild prey, human disturbance and livestock overgrazing. The results from the report support much previous work from Kazakhstan and other areas in Central Asia, but serve as a useful update shedding light on an optimistic future for snow leopard conservation while highlighting what the expedition team perceives to be the major threats to snow leopards. The threats to snow leopards, in order of relevance from most to least, are loss of prey predominantly through hunting by local people (both legal and illegal), direct hunting of snowleopard for pelt/medicine, disturbance by herders on the pastures, snow leopard habitat fragmentation around the mountain bases, and least importantly overgrazing by domestic livestock. Retaliatory kills by herders are not a threat in the region and on livestock were killed by snow leopards. Levels of all hunting, legal and illegal, need to be reduced in the range until wildlife populations have recovered significantly from the mid-1990's over-hunting period. Levels of rural corruption among many stakeholders were high around the mountain region, and are thought to contribute negatively to wildlife conservation in the area. Ecotourism in the area, that incorporates local people around the mountain region, is proposed as a solution to offer local people's incentives to lower hunting levels. This report makes the following main recommendations:
ÿStrengthening law enforcement capacity
ÿIncreasing the number of ecological rangers
ÿIncreasing incentives of ecological rangers to prevent poaching
ÿEquipping the ecological rangers more sufficiently
ÿMore effective communication between ranger and National Park administrative regions
ÿThe involvement of all stakeholders in wildlife conservation including military officials and local herders
ÿWhistle blower policies to prevent illegal trade in all animals in the region
ÿMore geographic consistency between present and proposed protected areas in the region
 Accurate snow leopard monitoring to build on valuable information previously collected in Kazakhstan
 Provision of local incentives (ecotourism and community based hunting reserves) to reduce local hunting and local unemployment around the mountains
 Increased interest and technical assistance in Kazakhstan from conservation International Non-Governmental Organizations
 More government fund for the Institute of Zoology
 Stronger cross border (Kazakhstan-China) legislation implementation Further research could involve establishing an annual, standardized, snow leopard
survey in the range, or could compare these findings of threats to snow leopards to other regions in Kazakhstan (eg. The Altai) or Central Asia.
This report has been replicated for all the expedition sponsors, put on the internet, and
distributed among contacts in the snow leopard conservation community.
The expedition team also spent some time exploring and photographing some of the remoter valleys around the study pastures, and made a short video of the teams exploits. Links were made between KIMEP University in Almaty, and Newcastle University, registered a research centre with the Royal Geographical Society, and lectured about the Dzhungarian range and snow leopard conservation at; the Royal Geographical Society, Newcastle University, Royal Zoological Society for Scotland(Edinburgh Zoo), and Wilderness Lecturers (Bristol).

Abstract: Reference List of the Snow Leopard investigation included publications on the studying various questions of ecology and conservation of the Snow Leopard in Central Asia (355) for the period with 1851 for 2004. The most important work on this species in the region, as well as results of the analysis of timing of publications was described.

Abstract: Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are a keystone species of Central Asia’s high mountain ecosystem. The species is listed as vulnerable and is elusive, preventing accurate population assessments that could inform conservation actions. Non-invasive genetic monitoring conducted by citizen scientists offers avenues to provide key data on this species that would otherwise be inaccessible. From 2011 to 2015, OSI-Panthera citizen science expeditions tracked signs of presence of snow leopards along transects in the main valleys and crests of the Sarychat-Ertash State Reserve (Kyrgyzstan). Scat samples were genotyped at seven autosomal microsatellite loci and at a X/Y locus for sex identification, which allowed estimating a minimum of 11 individuals present in the reserve from 2011 to 2015. The genetic recapture of 7 of these individuals enabled diachronic monitoring, providing indications of individuals’ movements throughout the reserve. We found putative family relationships between several individuals. Our results demonstrate the potential of this citizen science program to get a precise description of a snow leopard population through time.