Uncategorized – Page 33 – Snow Leopard Network

Livestock creating food shortage for Asiatic ibex

From The Hindu, Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Shimla (IANS): Overgrazing by livestock in a national park in Himachal Pradesh is threatening the survival of the Asiatic ibex – a wild goat species – that in turn is crucial for the snow leopard population in the area, says a conservationist.

“Overgrazing by livestock and unscientific extraction of various species of flora by locals and shepherds in and around the Pin Valley National Park is depleting its flora,” senior scientist Yash Veer Bhatnagar, who is associated with the Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation, told IANS.

Bhatnagar has been studying the ecology of animals in the Pin Valley park for the past 10 years.

“The Asiatic ibex is mainly threatened due to shortage of food. Grazing pressure by livestock results in competition among species,” he said.

The Asiatic ibex has a wide global distribution spanning over 200,000 sq km – from the Hindukush to the Sutlej gorge along the Himalayas in India to the Tien Shan and Altai ranges in Mongolia and Russia.

“Villages in the vicinity of the park are an immediate threat to the species. The hazards for the wild animals have increased as the park is used from June to November by migratory graziers whose livestock are potential carriers of diseases.

“The dependence of the villagers on the park for wood, fodder and cultivation is also degrading its habitat,” he said.

Rugged with sandy plains and surrounded by barren mountains ranging from 3,650 m to 6,632 m, the Pin Valley park was established in 1987. It is spread over 1,825 sq km with a core zone of 1,150 sq km.

Bhatnagar advocated the need to check the dwindling population of the Asiatic ibex.

“The Asiatic ibex, along with bharal (Himalayan blue sheep), is an important prey species of the highly endangered snow leopard. Good ibex populations, especially in parts of Spiti, Lahaul, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kullu, can greatly help maintain a good snow leopard population.

“Studies have shown that in areas with a healthy ibex population, instances of snow leopard attacks on herders’ livestock are fewer,” he said.

According to studies conducted by the Solan-based high altitude zoology field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), mammalian fauna in the cold desert of the Pin Valley park is quite diverse.

The ZSI has recorded the presence of the red fox, Tibetan wolf, stone marten, Himalayan weasel, pale weasel and the mouse hare in the park.

Thirty-nine species of birds and 14 species of butterfly are also found in the park. The bird species include the snow pigeon, blue rock pigeon, plain mountain finch, golden eagle, Himalayan griffon, common kestrel and long-tailed shrike.

Himachal Pradesh, probably a storehouse of biodiversity in the western Himalayas, supports 25 percent of the country’s mammalian fauna.

The ZSI in its report, “Fauna of Western Himalaya”, has recorded 447 species of birds and 107 species of mammals in the tiny hill state.

The best sighting of animals can be made between September and November when animals start their seasonal migration to lower altitudes.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200811251131.htm

New Snow Leopard Sculpture At Woodland Park Zoo Honors Helen Freeman

By Gigi Allianic

Seattle, WA – The champion of snow leopards, Helen Freeman, was remembered over the weekend at a private ceremony at Woodland Park Zoo that paid tribute to her tireless efforts toward protecting snow leopards and establishing the Snow Leopard Trust. Family, friends, the Snow Leopard Trust, and the zoo unveiled an ensemble of bronze sculptures that illustrates the lifetime passion of Freeman who passed away in 2007.

The commemoration to Freeman is located near the zoo’s snow leopard exhibit. Members of the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), Freeman’s family, and local artist Gretchen Daiber collaborated with the zoo to create the sculptural vignette: a clipboard detailing Freeman’s observations of snow leopards, a leaping snow leopard and a small plaque.

“The commemorative sculptures aptly capture the passion, spirit and life’s work of Helen,” noted Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, Brad Rutherford. “The Snow Leopard Trust is keeping Helen’s dream alive to save the cats she loved so much. We hope this new tribute will inspire zoo visitors to reflect on the legacy of snow leopard conservation she left behind and on her vision that will continue into the future.”

Freeman’s interest in snow leopards began in the early 1970s as a volunteer docent at Woodland Park Zoo where she began studying the zoo’s pair of snow leopards from Russia. She discovered a new passion for the endangered cats, which led her back to school for a second degree in animal behavior at University of Washington. The countless hours she spent studying the elusive cats grew into a multinational research effort. In the early 1980s, she became the zoo’s Curator of Education and, in 1981, she founded the Snow Leopard Trust.

Under Freeman’s guidance the Trust pioneered new approaches to snow leopard conservation and its habitat in Asia, placing local peoples at the center of the movement. Freeman ultimately became one of the world’s foremost experts on the behavior of snow leopards in captivity and a key figure in international snow leopard conservation. In 2008, the SLT continued Freeman’s legacy by launching the first ever long-term study of wild snow leopards, greatly advancing knowledge of and conservation efforts for the beautiful felines.

“Helen made a special connection with the snow leopards at the zoo and came to understand how these animals are conservation ambassadors for their cousins in the wild. Her drive to protect the species led her to build an organization that works with real communities to save these animals in their natural habitat. We miss Helen, but are proud to be part of helping her work and dream continue to succeed,” said Woodland Park Zoo President and CEO Dr. Deborah Jensen.

Woodland Park Zoo currently has a 14-year-old female snow leopard, which was joined this year by new arrivals, a 2-year-old male and a 3-year-old female, named Helen in honor of Helen Freeman.

The Snow Leopard Trust is now the oldest and largest organization whose sole purpose is to protect endangered snow leopards in their native Central Asian habitat, with programs and staff in key range countries, a global network of researchers and partnerships with local communities in the cats’ habitat. “The strength and independence of the Trust today is part of Helen’s legacy and stands as her greatest achievement in the snow leopard sphere of her life,” added Rutherford.

The Snow Leopard Trust is one of Woodland Park Zoo’s Partners for Wildlife conservation initiatives, an expansion of the zoo’s efforts and resources in proven field conservation projects. The zoo currently partners with 38 field conservation projects in 50 countries around the world. For more information about Woodland Park Zoo’s conservation efforts, visit www.zoo.org.

Artist Gretchen Daiber of Leavenworth, Wash. grew up in the Northwest. A long-time friend of Freeman’s, Daiber works in all mediums while concentrating on stone and bronze sculpture. She has numerous pieces in the growing outdoor collection of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat in Leavenworth as well as works which are part of the permanent collections of the cities of Puyallup, Wash., Wenatchee, Wash. and Seattle.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting international standards for zoos all over the world. The 21st century zoo is helping to save animals and their habitats in Washington state and around the world. By inspiring people to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.

To view a photo of the sculpture, please click on the link below:

http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-645

Steve Winter on Being Named Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Hello, I wanted to share this with everyone. I have been voted the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 2008. This is a great honor for myself, the snow leopard and National Geographic magazine! The snow leopard story appeared in the June issue of NGM.

I want to thank the Editor in Chief Chris Johns, (for giving me this opportunity and believing in me), my photo Editor Kathy Moran, (my guiding light), Editor at Large Nick Nichols, Emilene Ostlind, Jenna Pirog, and the whole staff at NGM.

I would also like to thank Dr. George Schaller, whose book Stones of Silence showed the snow leopard–and a passionate scientist–for the very first time.

Thank you to the Museum of Natural History in London, the BBC and WildPhotos for holding this important event. The show of all the winners at the Museum of Natural History in London is truly an amazing window on the talent of the winning photographers and our natural world–if any of you are in London please visit. A big thank you to all the judges also!

I had the expert knowledge and unselfish assistance of two friends–Tashi Tundup, from Snow Leopard Conservancy India and Raghu Chundawat from Snow Leopard Trust in Delhi. I cannot thank you both enough.

This was a real collaboration between the snow leopard and myself. Hopefully this award will help further worldwide interest in the beauty and importance of the snow leopard and understanding of our need to protect it. I applaud National Geographic for making this story possible.

Want to help? Please visit these websites of organizations working with the snow leopard:

www.snowleopard.org
www.panthera.org
www.snowleopardconservancy.org

Here is a link to the BBC news item about the award.

Thank you, and “Save the snow leopard.”

Posted Nov 17, 2008

To view one of Steve Winter’s stunning snow leopard photos, please click on the link below:

http://ngm.typepad.com/on_assignment/2008/11/steve-winter-on.html

Exclusive photo of a snow leopard in the Khumbu Valley of Sagarmatha National Park.

NAMCHE, Nepal — Crouched on the edge of an overhang, looking at his prey. Here’s one of the few spectacular photos of a snow leopard living in Nepali forests. The shooting was done by a local photographer, Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, who managed to immortalize this rare Asian feline near Namche village, in the heart of the Sagarmatha National Park.

Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa caught this beautiful snow leopard some days ago in the forest. A precious sighting, given that last months, this animal seemed to have disappeared over the Nepali mountains.

The first sighting of the leopard goes up about 20 days ago, when a collaborator of the photographer had the news of a tahr killed by a snow leopard in Nyershye. A few days after, some local people informed the researchers working in the Sagarmatha National Park that another tahr was killed in Dambagkok.

Lhakpa and a man of the Snp staff left immediately, at about 3.30 am, to search for the snow leopard. The night time, however, prevented them from seeing anything in the environment. After a long wait, at about 5.30 am, the two finally saw the feline near the carcass of a tahr.

However, the shadows of dawn and the darkness of the forest didn’t allow them to make a photo sufficiently clear.

So Lhakpa moved toward another side, and succeeded in framing and photographing the feline on the prominence of a overhang. This is the spectacular result of his work:

http://www.evk2cnr.org/en/node/1275

The Kanchenjunga conservation area

The New Nation: Bangladesh’s Independent News Source, Internet Edition. May 26, 2008

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/05/26/news0731.htm

The Kanchenjunga conservation area

It was 10 years ago when the staffs of DNPWC and WWF Nepal who had gone for feasibility study in KCA were chased away by locals fearing that they would be removed from their land and restricted from using the natural resources which they had being doing for ages. Over the years, despite the various adversity and challenges, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) has managed to fulfill its objectives but even as we appreciate and applaud the effort the one of a kind protected area management practice and its impact on such conservation practice is yet to be evaluated.

Declared as “A Gift to the Earth (1997)”,the

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) is known for its rich biodiversity, its spectacular scenery of Mt Kanchenjunga (8,586m), and rich cultural heritage represented by the 5,254 inhabitants living within the four Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Lelep, Olangchungola, Tapethok and Yamphudin.

On March 22, 1998, with the technical and financial support from WWF Nepal, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) launched the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project or KCAP. The aim was to conserve globally threatened wildlife species such as the snow leopard combined with local development activities like the promotion of health services, informal education, and income generating activities. The KCA also falls within the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, a landscape approach for biodiversity conservation and improving livelihoods in the Eastern Himalaya. Since 1998, WWF has invested US$ 1.5 million in KCA undertaking initiatives to conserve and protect the flora and fauna while also focusing on programs to improve livelihood, as well as educational and advocacy programs. In 2000, the Conservation Area Government Management Regulation was formulated while the territory of KCA was extended from 1,659sq.kms to 2.035sq.kms.

Ever since the initiation of KCAP, the local communities of Kanchenjunga have long expressed their eagerness to take on the responsibility of the conservation area. With this perspective the KCA Management Council (KCAMC) was formed in 2000 which was represented by all stakeholders from the seven Conservation Area User Committees, 44 User Groups, and 32 Mother Groups. The KCAMC in July 2004 submitted the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Plan to the DNPWC. The goal of the management plan is that biodiversity of KCA is managed by local communities to ensure ecological integrity and bring socio-economic benefits. The management plan was approved by the Cabinet of the Government of Nepal on August 31, 2006.

On September 22, 2006, a formal handover of KCA to the local management council KCAMC was organized. Late Mr Gopal Rai, Minister of State for Forests and Soil Conservation, handed over a Certificate of Authority to late Mr. Dawa Tchering Sherpa, Chairperson of the management council, for the management of the conservation area at a ceremony. This ceremony was attended by international and national conservationists, government dignitaries, friends and supporters as well as national media. This historic step shows the commitment of the Government of Nepal towards the devolution of power to local communities, especially with regard to natural resources and equitable sharing of benefits.
Continue reading “The Kanchenjunga conservation area”

Snow Leopard Conservation Fund (SLCF) is to coordinate international and national information sharing on snow leopard conservation and research in Mongolia

The March 2008, international snow leopard conference in Beijing passed three major resolutions. The first being for national focal points to be formed in each of the snow leopard range countries. The focal points will coordinate the communications and exchange of information on snow leopard conservation and research both international and national levels. Following this resolution, The Mongolian Focal Point was established at the National Snow Leopard Policy review, 18 March 2008 in Ulaanbaatar, where it was decided to form a broad based focal point group in order to maximize the benefits of collaboration. The group is comprised of government agencies, international and national NGOs, engaged in snow leopard conservation and research. The six members of the group represent Ministry of Nature and Environment (MNE), WWF, UNDP ( Altai Sayan Eco- Region project), Uvs Lake Basin Protected Area and Snow Leopard Conservation Fund (SLCF, NGO). It was agreed that SLCF would coordinate focal point group activities. This will be good news for snow leopard conservation and research in Mongolia, as it will enable all group and other stakeholders to better facilitate problems of information sharing and allow NGO’s and government institutions to learn from each other. One of the three resolutions suggested at the Beijing conference was to expedite development of a Snow Leopard Action Plan, or to better implement existing plans to their fullest extent. Mongolia already has had an action plan that has been followed since 2005 when it was first approved, along with the Snow Leopard National Policy. However, the action plan for the next decades which was suggested at the Beijing international conference, was introduced for review at the 18 March policy review workshop as well. A group of Mongolian participants who attended at the international conference, was able to suggest adaptations and additional activities that would update the existing action plan and improve harmony with international guidelines set at the Beijing conference. Action Plan review workshop was hosted by MNE, WWF and Irbis Mongolia, NGO in 18 March, 2008.

The documentary “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth” was chosen “Best of Festival” at this year’s International Wildlife Film Festival.

The following article appeared in the Missoulian on 8 April 2008:Newly edited ‘Snow Leopard’ best of IWFF
By JAMIE KELLY of the MissoulianThe film chosen Best of Festival for this year’s International Wildlife Film Festival has already been seen in Missoula.

However, “Snow Leopard: Beyond the Myth” underwent plenty of editing changes during the last year, when its producer arrived fresh from Pakistan, where the film takes place.

Resubmitted as an official entry this year, the epic story of the rare snow leopard, and efforts to save the species, is “an indicator of the future of wildlife filmmaking,” said IWFF executive director Janet Rose.

“It’s not just about wildlife,” Rose said of the BBC Natural History Unit film, one of 96 documentaries to be screened next month. “It’s about culture and people. The film really hits on all of those cylinders in a dynamic and sometimes controversial, sometimes emotional way.”

The festival’s six finalist judges awarded the film Best of Festival, but as always, it was a close call, said Rose.

Because the entries are increasingly excellent, the festival expanded its list of award categories, for the first time recognizing the best of Montana wildlife documentary filmmaking.

The Montana Filmmaker Award went to “Fish and Cow,” an 18-minute film by Bozeman filmmakers Geoff Stephens and Rick Smith about ranchers and conservation efforts in the Upper Big Hole Valley. It was filmed for the Nature Conservancy.

The Sapphire Award, named after Montana‘s official gemstone, is essentially the runner-up to Best of Festival. The award went to “Crash: A Tale of Two Species,” by New York filmmaker Allison Argo, an emotional tale of the decline of horseshoe crabs and a small species of bird that relies on crab eggs for its survival.

The last addition to the award category is the Special Jury Award. It went to “The Last Trimate,” an account of Birute Galdikas’ lifelong fight to save Indonesia‘s wild orangutans.

For more information about the award-winning films and all others that will be shown at next month’s IWFF, go to www.wildlifefilms.org

Coming next monthThe 31st International Wildlife Film Festival runs May 10-17 at the Roxy Theatre and the Wilma Theatre. For tickets and information, go to www.wildlifefilms.org

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/05/news/mtregional/news08.txt

HIMALAYAN GLACIERS MAY DISAPPEAR WITHIN DECADES

Himalayan glaciers are melting fast and may disappear within decades, affecting as many as 750 million people downstream who depend on the glacial melt for their water, according to a new UN report. Rivers in the region such as the Ganges, the Indus and the Brahmaputra, as well as others criss-crossing northern India may soon become seasonal rivers, a development that has ramifications for poverty and the economies in the region, warns the report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). In south Asia (Indian subcontinent), people in the Himalaya and Hindu Kush regions and those downstream who rely on glacial waters would be seriously affected. The average glacier shrank 1.4 m in 2006, compared to 0.5 m in 2005 and 0.3 m in the Eighties and Nineties.

March 18, 2008

For more information visit: http://www.kashmirobserver.com/index.php?id=3896&PHPSESSID=ec2b333cb6ad6dfb5619f02dc47e469f

Russia’s snow leopard population declines by half

Source: Russian News and Information Agency

NOVOSIBIRSK, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – The number of snow leopards in Russia’s southwestern Siberian Altai Republic has fallen from 40 in the late 1990s to 10-15, the director of the Gorny Altai nature preserve said on Friday.

Russia has an estimated total of 100 large mountain cats, which are in the Red Book of Endangered Species.

Sergei Spitsyn said the main reason is an insufficient number of forest rangers and rampant poaching, adding that local residents often see helicopters that are used for illegal hunting.

Snow leopards are hunted for their skin, meat and bones, which are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Weighing usually 35 to 55 kilograms, the snow leopard is slightly smaller than a leopard. Exceptional large males can weigh up to 75 kg. The head and body length is 100 to 130 cm, and the shoulder height is about 60 cm.

The total estimated wild snow leopard population is between 4,000 and 7,500. In addition, there are 600-700 animals in zoos around the world.

Long-term Ecological Study of Snow Leopards to be Launched in Mongolia

Today the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) announced the initiation in Mongolia of the first ever long-term comprehensive ecological study of snow leopards. The program is a collaborative effort involving SLT, Snow Leopard Conservation Fund (Mongolia), Felidae Conservation Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Mongolia’s Ministry of Nature and Environment, and the Mongolian State University of Agriculture. Dr. Tom McCarthy, Science and Conservation Director of SLT, stated, “Although there have been several valuable studies of the species to date, most were short-term or at most 4 or 5 years in duration, and such short-term efforts simply cannot provide the understanding we need to conserve these cats.” Dr. George Schaller (WCS), who conducted some of the first field studies of snow leopards, concurred, saying, “Long-term studies of tigers and lions have provided important insights into the lives of these cats and their prey. Now, for the first time, the snow leopard is the long overdue focus of such an invaluable effort, one that will, I am certain, contribute greatly to the conservation of this beautiful cat and its mountain environment.” The Mongolian study will run for a minimum of 10 years, and likely for 20 years or more.

Mongolia was selected as the site of the study because the country hosts the second largest population of the endangered cats, with 1,000 or more likely remaining out of a global population of 3,500 to 7,000. SLT also maintains one of its largest conservation programs for the species in Mongolia, using an innovative community-based approach to work with local people in over 27 communities in 7 provinces all along the country’s Altai mountains, a snow leopard stronghold. Over 400 herder families participate in a handicraft-based economic incentive program, coupled with anti-poaching efforts, to conserve a predator they once viewed only as a threat to livestock. The large snow leopard population, in conjunction with a well established conservation program, made Mongolia a logical choice for the new research effort.

In addition to being the world’s leading snow leopard conservation organization, SLT has long been at the forefront of snow leopard research. SLT recently teamed with two leading conservation geneticists, Dr. Lisette Waits (University of Idaho) and Dr. Warren Johnson (National Cancer Institute), to develop molecular genetic tools for individual identification of snow leopards from hair and fecal samples, thus allowing non-invasive population monitoring. SLT was the first to broadly apply these methods in the field in China, Kyrgyzstan, and most recently Mongolia, with encouraging results. “Research is critical to planning appropriate conservation actions and then measuring their outcome,” offered SLT’s Executive Director, Brad Rutherford, “and we employ a variety of cutting-edge research tools.” The new Mongolia study will utilize a suite of methodologies, such as genetics and automated cameras, to learn more about these rare and elusive cats.

While “non-invasive” methods hold much promise, there are many fundamental questions about snow leopard ecology and behavior that cannot be answered without the use of radio-collars. Recent technological advances will allow the use of GPS collars in this study. These collars will calculate each cat’s exact position multiple times a day, and then relay that information to researchers via satellite or ground-based radio links. By monitoring several generations of snow leopards in this manner, researchers will gain unprecedented insights on habitat use, movements, dispersal of sub-adults, adult and juvenile mortality rates and causes, intra-specific interactions, and human-snow leopard conflicts. This information will translate directly into improved conservation measures, better assuring the survival of snow leopards range-wide. Furthermore, by validating and improving upon these and other methods, the project will serve as a source for innovative research, monitoring and conservation tools that will be shared with scientists and conservationists across the region and globally.

The planned study will also provide many hands-on opportunities for training of national and international graduate students and professional biologists. A long-term goal of the program is to establish a research and educational facility in the South Gobi that will serve as a regional center for advanced training in field research and conservation. At least 3 graduate students, one each from Mongolia, Argentina, and Sweden, are expected to be among the first group of young scientists participating in the study. These students will be working alongside staff biologists from Mongolia, India, and the USA, making this a truly international collaboration from the outset.

Education will also be provided to national and provincial government officials, and most importantly to local people. “Conservation education is critical, especially for the people who share these mountains and whose lives are so closely tied to snow leopards” said Zara McDonald, President of Felidae Conservation Fund.

More information will be forthcoming as the program moves forward and will also be available on the Snow Leopard Trust and Felidae Conservation Fund websites.

www.snowleopard.org www.felidaefund.org

info@snowleopard.org info@felidaefund.org