Graeme Lindsay, marketing director of Whyte and Mackay has left with another job to go to.
Whyte and Mackay has confirmed that Lindsay left his role at the Glasgow whisky brand this week and will take some time out over Christmas and New Year before beginning a new role in February.
At the time of writing it was unclear what the new role was.
He joined Whyte and Mackay as marketing director in December 2007 from rival Glenmorangie.
A spokesperson for Whyte & Mackay said: “Graeme chose to leave the business to pursue other opportunities and we wish him all the best. He worked for us for two years, and helped build the international capability of our marketing team and also of some of our brands. At this stage we have no plans to replace him or that role.”
Meanwhile, The Drum has also learned that luxury vodka Snow Leopard, which partners with Whyte and Mackay has appointed Lutchford APM without a pitch.
The London-based agency has been tasked with handling the PR, event management and product placement for the vodka brand and work beginning to appear early next year.
Snow Leopard, which was launched three years ago by founder Stephen Sparrow, sells 1,000 cases a year but is looking reach nearer the 100,000 cases to reach its aim of saving the animals, of which only 3,500 remain.
A tourism initiative is helping Indian farmers learn to love the endangered predator that targets their flocks. Adrian Phillips reports
Sunday, 6 December 2009I’m sitting on the floor wrapping dough round my fingers. Alongside me, my hostess pulls and pinches her paste into delicate bows, all the while watching my fat-fisted efforts with a gap-toothed grin you could post a parcel through. As dinner is served, we’re joined by the head of the house, wearing a mauve sweatshirt that remains unchanged during the three days I spend in the village. His has the furrowed face of an elderly man, but his body is as lithe as a meerkat’s and his broad hands could crack walnuts. Both he and his daughter (my amused pasta partner) have the gentle, feline features typical of those from this part of India. As we eat cross-legged on cushions, they nod and smile at me, and I nod and smile back, and in between nods and smiles and chews and swallows I struggle to imagine these people crushing the skull of a snow leopard. They may not have done, of course, but other farmers in the region have. I’m in the village of Rumbak, high in the Ladakh range of the Himalayas, near the border with Tibet, and this is the terrain of the snow leopard. Nobody knows precisely how many of the creatures live here – not for nothing is the cat called the “ghost of the mountains” – but possibly 50 in HemisNational Park and 500 in the Indian Himalayan range as a whole.This is a globally important population of a precariously endangered species, but its presence hasn’t been welcomed by all. Picture the scene. You wake one winter morning, head out to check on your livestock, and find your enclosure a gory smear of slaughtered animals. During the night, a snow leopard has broken through the roof and jumped down among the sheep and goats. Unable to get out again, it now cowers tight to the wall in a corner, wide-eyed and spitting up at you. It has wiped out your entire livelihood in a few minutes of frenzied bloodlust. Graceful animal or destructive pest? Is it impossible to sympathise with those distraught villagers who raise sticks and stones to the cause of such devastation?A survey in 1999 revealed that 12 per cent of farmers’ livestock here was killed each year, the snow leopard the primary predator. Shortly afterwards, the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust was established to resolve this conflict between the interests of man and beast. What was required was an economic incentive to shift local attitudes towards the leopard. Rinchen Wanchuk, co-founder of the trust, gathered the villagers together and put an idea to them: why not set up a network of traditional homestays that would provide trekkers with an alternative to canvas, and an authentic local experience to boot? The scheme has proved a roaring success. A co-operative spirit infuses the whole enterprise; each of the village houses takes its turn to receive guests, and a portion of the income is put into a central pot that is used for programmes of land management, conservation and even insurance against livestock losses. A family might host 30 visitors a year, and earn three times more than it did in the past. Villagers guide visitors to the leopard hot spots, and sightings are now greeted with excitement rather than worry – the animal embraced as an asset more valuable alive than dead. And the leopard appears to be prospering as a consequence. In the late 1990s, a BBC camera team took more than six weeks to capture one on film; now the trust estimates that half of the week-long winter trips it organises in search of leopards are successful. It’s 7am and I’m sure I’m crouching over a pile of snow-leopard droppings. My patient guide, Chosgan (Chos for short), is equally sure I’m crouching over a pile of donkey droppings. I put his muffled sigh down to the breeze through the willows. Life starts early in Rumbak. When I rose from my bed at 6am, the day was already in full swing. Our hosts had herded the animals from their pens beneath the house, and the village was filled with a bleating flow of sheep heading to pasture. Chos and I are on a trek along the JingchanValley, aiming for the peak of Ganda La, a few kilometres away. I’m told there’s no realistic chance of seeing a snow leopard in autumn – the leopards don’t venture this low until winter – but I’m undeterred, and Chos has assured me earnestly that he’ll keep his eyes peeled for clues. A stream babbles alongside us and mountain partridges skit away as we approach, sending trickles of pebbles in their wake. The bare rock of the valley flashes in the sunlight, its colour changing with every step – now white as a seagull’s feather, now the polished grey of a gun barrel, now the rich hue of lavender. On the slopes above, a nervous herd of sheep stands rigid as we pass; golden eagles hang in the air as if on strings. It’s hot work and sweat runs into the crooks of my elbows. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. And then a rustle and a snap and a shadow in a clump of bushes to our left. Please – surely – it must be? Is that the shape of a snow leo …? “Cow!” Chos says, without a backward glance. Our quest continues …COMPACT FACTSHow to get thereAdrian Phillips travelled to Ladakh courtesy of Mahindra Homestays ( 020-3140 8422 020-3140 8422; mahindrahome stays.com), which offers rooms for £35 per night, inclusive of all meals. Adrian also stayed at the Trendy B&B in Delhi, which charges £56 per room per night, including breakfast, and at the Hotel Kang-Lha-Chen in Leh, which offers rooms for £50 per night, including all meals. Jet Airways ( 0808 101 1199 0808 101 1199; jetairways.com) offers return flights from Heathrow to Delhi for about £450, and return internal flights between Delhi and Leh from £145.http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/indian-trail-of-the-ghost-of-the-mountains-1834834.html:p>
Photographer Steve Winter on his candid picture of the elusive cat
Steve Winter
The editor of National Geographic asked its photographers: “What would be your dream project?” I wrote “snow leopards”. I’d read a book about them years before I started photographing animals. We did a recce in HemisNational Park in Ladak, northern India, and met local people. Standing in the valley, it felt like being on the Moon: no trees, just rock. I’m a jungle guy, used to hot and steamy but I thought, I can do this. It took us four days to get our equipment in by horse and set up a base camp. Snow leopards are habitual: they mark locations by rubbing their necks on rocks to leave a scent, especially during the mating season. To see one, you have to find a trail: you won’t see one just walking around. I found a trail with the help of a local man named Tashi. We set up 14 remote cameras that use an infrared system with a laser beam. I wanted the photograph to be composed the way it would have been if I were lying on the ground, taking it myself. I wanted to make people say “wow”. This project was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done. We spent six and a half months in the valley and at night, it reached -50C (-58F). I spoke to my wife at night on the satellite phone until my hands were freezing. We would check the cameras every one to two weeks so that we didn’t leave our scents there and put the leopards off. There was one camera with a frame that I loved, but the cats never went past it. Then one day there was this shot of a leopard in a snowstorm at night. I couldn’t have asked for better. You look at it and your jaw just drops. Steve Winter’s Snow Leopard is on display at the World Press Photo exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall, London, until December 13, 2009. www.southbankcentre.co.ukhttp://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6937721.ece
BISHKEK, 16 November 2009 (IRIN) – Rapidly melting glaciers in mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan over the next few decades could lead to increased desertification and land degradation, according to experts.
By the end of the century, we could see temperatures rising 4-6 degrees centigrade, and by 2050 the number of glaciers could fall from 8,200 to 142, Zukhra Abaikhanova, environment programme adviser with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan, told IRIN. The figures are also contained in Kyrgyzstan‘s submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“In the last few decades, we have witnessed the melting of our glaciers. Many have disappeared… The result could be desertification and soil degradation,” she said.
According to Bakyta Mamytova, a specialist in mountain soil biology at the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences, such a temperature rise, assuming precipitation remains at its current level, would lead to increasing desertification.
The result would be soil erosion which “could affect living standards, the economy and the environment. We are experiencing this today already,” Mamytova said.
Deputy Director of the State Agency for the Preservation of the Environment and Forestry Aitkul Burkhanov said some of the land currently used in Central Asia for grazing and growing crops may not be fit for purpose in a few decades.
He said glacier melt would reduce the amount of water available for drinking and irrigation.
Agricultural zoning
Ninety percent of all water in the country is used for irrigation, said UNDP’s Abaikhanova. We need to reconsider “agricultural zoning” to ensure food security; and more efficient use of water at household and state level needs to be implemented, she said.
On “agricultural zoning” (moving crops to other areas or introducing new ones), Abaikhanova said work on that front was just beginning. “There will be a pilot project in the northern province of Chui. The main aim is to assess the prospects of agricultural adaption in the identified area, taking into consideration climate, temperature and humidity changes… We need to identify how the soil will change, what type of adaption measures will be needed in crop production, animal husbandry and preserving pasturelands in Kyrgyzstan.”A June 2009 World Bank report entitled Adapting to Climate Change in Europe and Central Asia warned that climate change’s impact in the Europe and Central Asia Region could be exacerbated by post-Soviet era environmental mismanagement and poor infrastructure.
Marianne Fay, the author of the report, said: “Increases in temperature are affecting hydrology, with a rapid melting of the region’s glaciers and a decrease in winter snows. Many countries are already suffering from winter floods and summer droughts – with both southeastern Europe and Central Asia at risk of severe water shortages. Summer heat waves are expected to claim more lives than will be saved by warmer winters.”
A joint report, entitled Global Glacier Changes: facts and figures, by the UN Environment Programme and the World Glacier Monitoring Service released on 1 September 2008 said mountain ranges in Central Asia function as water towers for millions of people. “Glacier runoff thereby is an important freshwater resource in arid regions as well as during the dry seasons in monsoonal affected regions,” the report said, adding that during the 20th century, the glacier area is estimated to have decreased by 25-35 percent in the Tien Shan area of Kyrgyzstan.
Tiger skin trade in China exposed By Jody Bourton
Earth News reporter
An undercover investigation has revealed the continued trade in tiger skins in China. Covert filming by the Environment Investigation Agency shows traders selling skins of tigers and other rare animals such as snow leopards. The skins are sold as luxury items and are used for clothes and home decor. The campaigning group has published its investigation a few days before an international summit on big cat conservation in Kathmandu, Nepal. Buying and selling big cat skins and body parts is illegal in China. People are buying them for prestige, skins are very expensive and tend to cost around 20,000 US dollars each
Alasdair Cameron Environmental Investigation Agency However, a team from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), based in London, UK and WashingtonDC, US says its investigations reveal the trade in big cats still occurs in many parts of the country, including Tibet. Between 25 July and 19 August 2009 the EIA carried out investigations in markets in five cities in western China. Skin sale In just 21 days the team was offered four full tiger skins, 12 leopard skins, 11 snow leopard skins and two clouded leopard skins as well as associated bones and teeth from the species. “It’s really quite significant,” says EIA spokesperson Alasdair Cameron. “What’s interesting is the market has changed. Previously the market was for skins amongst the Tibetan community, that market has largely collapsed and what we’re seeing now is skins bought for decoration and taxidermy amongst Chinese businesspeople,” he says. “People are buying them for prestige, skins are very expensive and tend to cost around 20,000 US dollars each,” Mr Cameron explains. “We’re also being told skins are being used for non-financial bribery within China, so the demand is increasing outside of the Tibetan areas.” The EIA says the animals are being smuggled into China from various places including Tibet, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Covert operation The team captured the illegal trade on film using a hidden camera while they enquired about animal skins on sale. What surprised the team was how easy it was to find and purchase the endangered animal products. “There is some law enforcement in China, in a few regions, but there are whole swathes of the country where this trade is allowed to carry on with almost no fear of detection,” Mr Cameron says. “Some of the places we have been to, skins are openly displayed in shop windows while police cars drive past.” Debbie Banks, lead campaigner of the EIA, believes not is enough is being done by the Chinese authorities to combat the trade. “If China can put a man into space, they can do more to save the wild tiger,” she says. Tiger meet On the 27 October a summit is being held in Kathmandu, Nepal to discuss how best to save wild tigers from extinction. The Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop will bring together tiger experts and conservation organisations from around the world to further efforts to protect the animal, especially running up to the Chinese calendar’s year of the tiger in 2010. However, Mr Cameron has mixed feelings about the forthcoming year of the tiger. “We’re hoping to use the year of the tiger as a way to highlight the threats faced by the animal but traders in China are actually saying that next year is going to be great because people will want to get a piece of the tiger in the year of the tiger.” “There could actually be a spike in demand.” Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8321000/8321033.stm
They are one of the most beautiful animals on the planet, but they are an endangered species. Here on PlanetSKI we set out to discover a little bit more about them.
We first wrote about snow leopards when we found they were being bred in captivity in a zoo in Wales and that this was part of a much wider breeding programme across the globe.
Without this there is a genuine fear they may become extinct.
Its estimated there are 3,500 left in the world and a recent survey in Nepal revealed the numbers have dropped to 300 – 400 in the area; a fall of 25% on the previous year.
Snow leopard habitatThe animals live in the mountains of Central Asia and Russia.
They have evolved to be able to cope with the cold, snowy conditions with thick fur, a stocky body, wide feet and small ears.
They also have a long tail, the same size as the rest of their body, that helps with balance as they walk over snow; they also wrap it round themselves like a blanket when asleep.
They live 15-18 years and can bring down and kill an animal three times bigger than itself. They can leap an incredible 14m when they ambush their prey.
Recently a camera trap caught a rare photo of a snow leopard in the wild in north-east Afghanistan.
For further video of these animals see this video section on the BBC wildlife web site that has some quite stunning footage of these rare animals.
For further news on the breeding programme in Wales and video of the new born cubs see this story.
Acclaimed animal conservationist vies for $100,000 award
INDIANAPOLIS— Rodney Jackson, Ph.D., is one of 29 animal conservationists nominated
to receive the Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. Jackson,
a San Francisco Bay Area resident and founder-director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy,
has been nominated for his groundbreaking radio-tracking study of snow leopards in the 1980s
and his subsequent dedication to building the capacity of indigenous herders and farmers as
key players in conserving the species. Jackson’s grassroots approach to research, conservation,
and education is helping to transform this magnificent big cat from a potential livestock
predator to an economic asset throughout much of its 12-country range.
The Indianapolis Prize nominees’ work spans the globe, representing a range of species from
insects to mammals, and includes amphibians, elephants, bats, wolves and sharks, among
many others. The Nominating Committee will review the applications and select the six
finalists, who will be announced in the spring of 2010. The Prize Jury will then determine the
winner who will be announced in mid-2010 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala,
to be held Sept. 25, 2010, in Indianapolis.
In addition to receiving the $100,000 Prize, the recipient is also awarded the Lilly Medal, an
original work of art that signifies the winner’s contributions to conserving some of the world’s
most threatened animals. The 2008 Indianapolis Prize was awarded to legendary field
biologist George Schaller, Ph.D. Schaller’s accomplishments span decades and continents,
bringing fresh focus to the plight of several endangered species – from tigers in India to
gorillas in Rwanda – and inspiring others to join the crusade.
“Following in Schaller’s footsteps will not be easy, but we believe the current nominees are
exceptional,” said Michael Crowther, CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, the organization
responsible for initiating the conservation award. “These conservationists are all living an
adventure that battles the odds, achieves great victories and builds a future worth living in.”
The biennial $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award
for animal conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen
honoree. The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant
component of its mission to inspire local and global communities and to celebrate, protect and
preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research. This award brings
the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and
dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal
species. It was first awarded in 2006 to Dr. George Archibald, the co-founder of the
International Crane Foundation and one of the world’s great field biologists. In 2008, the Indianapolis Prize went to Dr. George Schaller, the world’s preeminent field biologist
and vice president of science and exploration for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Eli
Lilly and Company Foundation has provided funding for the Indianapolis Prize since 2006.
Indianapolis Prize Winning Conservationist
Fights for Snow Leopards’ Survival
INDIANAPOLIS — As Vice President of Panthera and Senior Conservationist for the Wildlife Conservation Society, George B. Schaller, Ph.D., is relentless in his pursuit to save endangered species across the globe. The winner of the second Indianapolis Prize credits the award with helping him reach some important milestones in his work to save snow leopards in 2009.
Generous with his time and resources, Schaller used a portion of the $100,000 Indianapolis Prize to visit China’s Qinghai Province in May 2009 to help initiate snow leopard programs supported by Panthera, an organization whose mission is to conserve the world’s 36 species of wild cats. Most of Schaller’s work was conducted in the Sanjiangyuan Reserve (“Source of Three Rivers Reserve”—Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong), which covers nearly 58,000 square miles, primarily at elevations above 11,800 feet. In addition to assessing snow leopard presence and threats, the trip provided Peking University Ph.D. student Li Juan with the training she needs to start a snow leopard study this year. Schaller and Juan traveled more than 2,600 miles to evaluate potential study areas for the student’s research project, and Schaller will continue to mentor Juan as she pursues her Ph.D.
While in Asia, Schaller met with representatives from the Snow Leopard Trust and Shan Shui, one of the leading conservation organizations in China, to create a new collaborative snow leopard research and conservation program. These organizations signed a long-term agreement that will bring much needed expertise and funding to efforts to save snow leopards in China, where as much as 50 percent of the remaining wild population exists.
“George Schaller’s extensive research, fieldwork and training have been essential to saving snow leopards in regions of China,” said Tom McCarthy, Director of Snow Leopard Programs for Panthera. “I can’t think of a better use of the Indianapolis Prize funds than teaching future generations the urgency and necessity of wildlife conservation.”
“The important aspects of this project for me,” added Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, “are its collaborative and long-term nature. It’s George’s innate ability to bring people together and to forge alliances that overcome the short-term problems of political or geographic conflicts in order to serve the greater good that makes him a hero for me, and for the world. It seems he has again worked his magic for the snow leopards.”The nominees for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize will be announced on October 7, 2009. To learn more about Panthera’s efforts to save snow leopards and how to become involved, visit www.panthera.org. More information about the Indianapolis Prize is available at www.indianapolisprize.org. # # #The biennial $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award for animal conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree. The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to inspire local and global communities and to celebrate, protect and preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research. This award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species. The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation has provided funding for the Indianapolis Prize since 2006.
If you are interested in using a photo of Schaller or the Indianapolis Prize logo, please see the following links: www.indyzoo.com/pdf/GeorgeSchaller-WCS.jpg and www.indyzoo.com/pdf/IndianapolisPrizeLogo.jpg.
Layaps livid with leopardsA trio of tamzees is attacking livestock at will with no fear of consequence28 September, 2009 – The Layaps are paying what they call the “price of the government’s conservation effort” as their cattle fall prey to wild animals. This time, it’s the tamzee (leopard) that is killing domestic animals.
A lone tamzee has killed 11 horses in the gewog since February this year, according to villagers. “Four of them fell prey to the leopard in just one month in Pazhu and Langothang,” said a farmer, Lhaba Situb from Toko village.A royal hunter, in Tsarijathang, Tshering, said that the leopard entered the three huts belonging to yak herders and took away the calves and a dog. Farmers said they are encountering tamzee at close range. “Last year, we only saw two leopards wandering, but this year three of them are attacking at different places,” said a villager from Pazhi, Rinchen.Villagers said there was little they could do as protective measures against the leopard. “We want the government to kill the predator or give us the permission to kill them,” said an angry villager. “The rule says we can kill if wild animals are within 200 m, but they’re killing our cattle in our sheds.” Others said that, even if the rule allowed them to kill, there was no use killing since they can’t consume the meat. Laya falls in the Jigme Dorji national park (JDNP), a government protected area. Forest guard Thinley Dorji said that farmers approached him asking to shoot down the leopards or give them the permission to kill them. He said that leopard attacks are common at this time of the year.The people of Laya have been requesting the government to bring down the numbers of leopards, but they are not permitted to kill. Laya gup Kinley Dorji told Kuensel that they get half the cost of their animal from the government as compensation if either tigers or snow leopards killed their animals.“If government could pay half the cost of the animal as compensation, we’ll be happy as we aren’t allowed to kill the animal,” said Phurba Tshring, a farmer from Pazhi, who lost his best mule to a leopard. “ I bought it recently for Nu 28,000.”Thinley Dorji said the villagers would not get any compensation from the government for livestock killed by a common leopard like the tamzee. “Until 2006, there was compensation, but now it’s only for livestock killed by tigers and snow leopards,” said the forest-guard. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said.Mangmi Lhaba Tshering told Kuensel that the issue of bear and leopard attacks on animals in the gewog was discussed in the dzongkhag yargye tshogdue (DYT). “Farmers are allowed to retaliate if the animal is within 200 m of their homes, but most of us don’t have the weapons or equipment to do anything,” he said. “All we did so far was inform the dzongkhag and JDNP. Someone should do something.”By Gyem Thinleyhttp://kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13552
This article originally appeared in TidBITS on 2009-09-16 at 3:25 p.m.
The permanent URL for this article is: http://db.tidbits.com/article/10570
Protecting Snow Leopard’s Namesake Cats
by Doug McLean
By now you’ve probably gotten a glimpse at the big cat Apple has been touting as the face of its new operating system, Snow Leopard. But did you know that the real snow leopard [1] is a highly endangered species? With dwindling population numbers in the wild estimated to be between 3,500 to 7,000, this native of Central Asia is facing extinction.
The snow leopard is a beautiful cat with big paws, a thick fur coat, and a long tail used for balance in its mountainous roaming. Bearing the moniker Spirit of the Himalayas, its natural habitat encompasses the mountains of central and south Asia including parts of Mongolia, India, Pakistan, China, and other countries. Solitary animals, snow leopards usually live 15 to 20 years in the wild.
Since 1972, the snow leopard has been identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [3] as an endangered species – right up there with the panda, the blue whale, and the albatross. Today, their habitat continues to be encroached upon by agricultural needs; they’re poached for their pelts; and they’re killed by farmers looking to protect their livestock.
Fortunately, other people are looking out for the snow leopard.
Conservation Groups — Two main groups are currently devoted solely to the snow leopard’s plight. Founded in 1981, the Snow Leopard Trust [4] is one of the world’s leading authorities on the study and protection of the snow leopard. With a large staff spread over five snow leopard range countries, the Trust is attempting to affect change at the country level. In 2008, the Trust also began a long-term research project that seeks to gain a stronger grip on the issues facing snow leopards by better understanding their living habits.
The Snow Leopard Trust’s short term conservation goals include expanding the number of Mongolian communities participating in conservation efforts (Mongolia is home to the second-largest snow leopard population) and initiating a pilot program in China, which has the largest snow leopard population. The Trust’s primary long term goal is to help the snow leopard reach healthy and self-sustainable population numbers in the wild.
The Snow Leopard Conservancy [5] is the other main source of snow leopard conservation efforts. The Conservancy focuses on enhancing the stewardship of alpine ecosystems within communities that provide habitat (and easy prey via livestock) for snow leopards. The Conservancy’s stated challenge is to seek “ways of helping local people regain their willingness to co-exist with large predators.”
What Could Apple Do? While it is by no means Apple’s responsibility to take part in the efforts to protect its latest operating system’s namesake, the company has a great opportunity to help a worthy cause. Given Apple’s recent efforts to become a greener enterprise, embracing the snow leopard as its current-day mascot and supporting efforts to save the snow leopard from extinction would help underscore other green efforts like eliminating BFRs, PVC, and mercury from its iPods and computers. The financial planning company Pacific Life provides a good role model of a company giving back to its brand icon [6], which in their case is the humpback whale.
Most simply, Apple could just help raise awareness of the issue with an educational box on its Snow Leopard page [7]. Given that many people don’t even know the snow leopard is endangered, even a simple effort like this would go a long way.
Apple could also make a donation to the Snow Leopard Trust and/or the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Better yet, Apple could involve the Mac community in the effort by offering to match donations made by Mac users. The Snow Leopard Trust already has such a donation matching program in place with another donor. Through 31-Oct-09, if the organization can raise $25,000, any donation you make will be met by the Geyer Trust.
“That means doubling the impact for your gift,” Brad Rutherford, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, told me via email. “Gifts big and small are important to us. $5 is enough for us to track a snow leopard for one day using GPS technology, and $1,000 is what it takes to protect one snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan for one year.
Some Mac-related organizations have already stepped up to the plate. Apple resellers Tekserve [8] in New York City and Monterey Bay Computer Works [9] in California have already contributed to the Snow Leopard Trust’s fundraising program. Tekserve donated the proceeds from the first 100 copies of Snow Leopard it sold. Select ASMC (Apple Specialist Marketing Co-op [10]) retailers are also helping out by promoting snow leopard “adoptions” in their stores. It would be great to see Apple join these Apple resellers and take an active role in encouraging and promoting the protection of the snow leopard.
What Can You Do? Don’t feel you have to wait for Apple to make a move, because there’s plenty you can do right now to help snow leopards. Aside from making an individual donation to one of the organizations mentioned above, you could “adopt” a snow leopard (via either the Trust or Conservancy), donate your old car [11] to raise funds, or purchase crafts [12] made by people living in the snow leopard habitat to help alleviate the economic pressures that lead herders to forcibly protect their livestock (the craftsmen must abide by jointly negotiated conservation agreements that protect the cats and their key prey).
Additionally, if you really want to get involved, consider volunteering for either the Trust or the Conservancy. The Trust in particular has noted that it needs volunteers to help expand their social network presence, develop presentations, write and distribute press releases, and host fundraising events.
And though it may seem small, simply spreading the word about the snow leopard’s endangered status – whether by conversation, email, or Twitter (I recommend linking to this obscenely cute video [13] of snow leopard kittens at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo) – can have a real impact. (And if you go to Woodland Park Zoo yourself on the right day, you might even get to see TidBITS Managing Editor Jeff Carlson and his daughter Ellie masquerading as snow leopards.)
Brad Rutherford was up front about the possibilities. “Support from Apple, its retailers, and Mac users has the potential to make a huge, immediate difference in protecting snow leopards,” he said.
So next time you boot up Snow Leopard, take a moment to think about those big cats prowling around the Himalayas, and hopefully, they’ll still be with us long after Apple has moved beyond big cat operating systems.
