Category: Webinar

SLN invites you to our fourth webinar of 2024 with the team from Snow Leopard Conservancy.

                                       (2023 OHOW Paraveterinarian training)

About the Talk:

The Snow Leopard Conservancy partners with local conservationists, range country and international organizations, and mountain communities living with snow leopards. SLC invests in solutions that save the lives of snow leopards and other predators from the consequence of human-wildlife conflict and build a long term foundation of coexistence, guardianship and self-reliance.  SLC’s initiatives empower Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, evidence-based science, and promote healthy mountain ecosystems across the snow leopard’s range.

(2023 OHOW Chame Animal Health Clinic)

The One-Health-One-Welfare initiative facilitates a community-driven and holistic conservation approach that bridges educational, health, and environmental challenges within the remote mountain communities of Nepal. Using a One Health framework, that aims to conserve snow leopards and their habitat by improving local livelihoods, agricultural practices, expanding snow leopard conservation education, improving access to livestock veterinary care, reducing zoonotic disease transmission, and building local capacity to address these challenges.

Nepal Snow Leopard Scout program

About our Speaker:

Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson is the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC).  Ashleigh has a B.S. in Zoology (Pre-Veterinary) from the University of Florida and a MSc from Royal Veterinary College and Zoological Society of London in Wild Animal Biology.  Prior to SLC, Ashleigh worked as a Zoologist in AZA-Accredited Zoos in Florida and California for 20 years, specializing with wild carnivores, particularly felids. She has also worked closely with Ruaha Carnivore Project, Malayan Conservation Alliance for Tigers, Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance, and the Felid Taxon Advisory Group, serving as a ‘Wildlife Health Bridge’, between zoos & field conservation organizations to build collaboration and collective impact. She is the co-founder and co-director of SLC’s One-Health-One-Welfare initiative to improve animal-human health and the protection of snow leopards and other wildlife in Nepal. Using her interdisciplinary zoological and conservation background in animal behavior, welfare, veterinary medicine and creative problem solving, she aims to further compassionate human-wildlife coexistence in a rapidly changing world. 

About our Facilitator:

Koustubh Sharma is the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) and the Director of Science and Conservation at the Snow Leopard Trust. With nearly 20 years of experience in ecological research, wildlife conservation and training, he helps build collaborations and coordinate alliances and at multiple levels for snow leopard research and conservation.

(2022 OHOW workshops in Phu Valley Annapurna Nepal)

Date/Time

Thursday, 16th May at 09:00am Bishkek time

Location

ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE

Please note

• If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
• Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
• Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session

About the Talk:

In this webinar hosted by the Snow Leopard Network, Peter van Lunteren’s presentation will explore the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in nature conservation, specifically emphasizing its potential applications in advancing Snow Leopard conservation efforts.

A picture of a snow leopard taken from the snow leopard network website. Box drawn by Peter. Photo credits to Shan Shui/SLT/Panthera

Peter will examine the current state of AI capabilities and discuss how conservationists can leverage automation and computer vision to enhance efficiency in their work. The focus will be on using AI for data analysis, real-time audio, and image processing in remote areas. Technologies such as camera traps, GPS collar tracking, and bioacoustic monitoring will be discussed. By addressing the current possibilities and challenges, Peter aims to shed light on how AI can be a powerful ally in the ongoing efforts to protect and preserve Snow Leopards and their habitats.

A lion with a GPS collar. Credit to Dr. Philip Stander of Desert Lion Conservation.

Peter photographing the environment in Northern Uganda.

About our Speaker:

How would I describe myself? I’m an optimistic, methodical, results-oriented, tech-savvy ecologist with a passion for developing data-driven solutions that improve the quality of ecological research and monitoring. My name is Peter van Lunteren, and I am an ecologist and data scientist. I have worked for several conservation initiatives over the past years and started out as a field biologist. I gradually came in contact with the world of conservation technology, until I eventually founded Addax Data Science. Addax specializes in the fusion of ecology, data science, and artificial intelligence to develop tailored tools to meet your specific needs. Projects range from statistical data analysis to streamlining research processes, including data flows, automated reports, dashboards, and custom species identification models for various applications, such as bird vocalizations, camera trap image analysis, or gunshot and chainsaw detection and localization.

Welcome to our first Webinar of 2024 in which we are happy to host Dr. Carol Esson.

About the Talk: 

In this talk today, Carol will be presenting the key questions and outcomes of her PhD research project on Snow Leopards in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia.

Emerging wildlife diseases are a growing concern across the world.  They have wide-spread and diverse ramifications, including effects on and interactions between, endangered species, production animals, human health and livelihoods (Smith et al. 2009).  In the future, successful disease control will have to reach across the traditional boundaries of conservation, human health and production animal diseases to achieve integrated disease assessment and control programs.

A One Health Approach was utilised to investigate disease threats to an endangered species in a remote location. Carol will talk about the rationale behind the research project design, the techniques used, the analysis and outcomes and how the results should lead to an improved understanding of how we can manage these populations from any future disease threats. These techniques we employ will be able to be extrapolated to other threatened species in remote locations.

About our Speaker:

You are invited to a webinar that delves into the concept of ‘coexistence’. This term is intertwined with various strategies and conservation goals, but what does it truly encompass? Moreover, how does it resonate with different groups of people from diverse cultural perspectives? Join us in the company of our guest speaker, Gao Yufang, an interdisciplinary scholar, as he shares his recent research centered around the concept of ‘coexistence’ on the Tibetan plateau. His exploration is interwoven with the threads of traditional knowledge and culture, shedding light on the interconnections.

Our webinar will also feature the insights of Saloni Bhatia, a conservation anthropologist based at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Her prior research was conducted in Ladakh, where she explored the biocultural interplay between large carnivores and human populations, a journey she continues to explore. Finally, Arash Ghoddousi, joining us from Humboldt-University Berlin, as our facilitator, will weave together these diverse perspectives. We extend an invitation to you to partake in the discussion as we collectively explore the dimensions and implications of the concept of ‘coexistence’ across the snow leopard range and beyond.

About the Talk:

Meet our Guests:

Yufang Gao is a Chinese conservationist passionate about integrating knowledge and practice for human-wildlife coexistence. He holds a B.S. in Biology from Peking University, a M.S. in Environmental Science, and a combined Ph.D. in conservation science and environmental anthropology from Yale University. For the past 15 years, Gao has worked with international, national, and local organizations on a wide range of projects related to large carnivore conservation on the Tibetan Plateau. His work has been recognized by the National Geographic Emerging Explorers Award, Marsh Award for Terrestrial Conservation Leadership, and Roy A. Rappaport Prize in Environmental Anthropology, among others. Currently, he is leading an initiative that aims to engage and empower early-career Chinese conservationists for the development of conservation edgewalkership.

Dr. Saloni Bhatia is a conservation anthropologist based at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore India. She studies the relationship between people and their environment including human-wildlife interactions, largely in the high altitude Himalayan landscape. Her past work has examined the biocultural relationships between large carnivores and people in Ladakh where she continues to work to the present day.

Arash Ghoddousi is a Research Fellow at Humboldt-University Berlin. The focus of my research is on understanding and improving the effectiveness of protected areas and law enforcement mechanisms, offering insight into human-wildlife conflict and poaching, as well as, improving methods in monitoring large mammals. He is particularly interested in the conservation of big cats and mountain ungulates with a special focus on southwest Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. He has close collaborations with conservation organizations (e.g., IUCN, WWF) around the world and consult on several projects.

Date/Time

Tuesday, 05th September, 2023 at 14:00pm Bishkek time

Location

ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE

Please note

• If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
• Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
• Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.

Join us for a webinar that delves into the fascinating world of cluster studies in snow leopard research. We will explore the realm of spatial ecology and its broader implications for understanding the species. Our guest, Gustaf Samelius, Assistant Director of Science for the Snow Leopard Trust, will join us to share a recent update on the collation of detailed cluster studies of snow leopards in the South Gobi, Mongolia. These studies, conducted in collaboration with the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation, are part of the Long-Term Ecological Study, which has been active for over 13 years. Gustaf will discuss how his time in the Gobi during spring 2023 has provided a more detailed understanding of the species.

We will also be joined by Yanlin Liu from Qinghai Normal University, China, who will participate as a discussant. Yanlin will share how the collaring work in the Qilianshan mountains of China (which is approx. less than 500km from the Mongolia South Gobi study) addresses similar or different questions related to prey predation. Koustubh Sharma will facilitate this discussion and we hope that participants will engage with our guests, with questions, as we delve into a broader conversation about snow leopard behavior and predation. 

About the talk

GPS-collars are a common way to study spatial ecology but GPS-collars can also teach us about other aspects of ecology such as foraging patterns and reproductive biology. During this seminar, Gustaf will show us how they use what is called cluster studies (which is visiting of the places where collared animals stop for extended periods) to study predation patterns of collared snow leopards in southern Mongolia. Gustaf will also show us how they are also starting to use cluster studies to learn more about where the collared cats are resting and how this will help us understand how the cats are using the mountains and why they are limited to mountains.

About our Guests

Gustaf Samelius, Assistant Director of Science for the Snow Leopard Trust, specializes in applied ecology and the conservation of snow leopards and mountain ecosystems. With nearly a decade of experience, Gustaf has been actively involved in the Long-term Ecological Study, providing him with a detailed understanding of snow leopard ecology in this region.

Yanlin Liu has been working with different teams on the snow leopard assessment in Qilian Mountains. Yanlin is currently a Lecturer in the College of Life Sciences at Qinghai Normal University and consultant for the Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance. He previously served as the director of the snow leopard project for the ShanShui Conservation Center and a Post-Doc in the Chinese Academy of Forest. 

Koustubh Sharma is the Science and Conservation Director at Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) and International Coordinator at The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP). With nearly 20 years of experience in ecological research, wildlife conservation and training, he helps build collaborations and coordinate alliances and at multiple levels for snow leopard research and conservation.

Date/Time

Thursday, August 31st, 2023 at 14:00pm Bishkek time

Location

ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE

Please note

• If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
• Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
• Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.

We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming webinar on the topic of illegal hunting and wildlife conservation. The webinar will focus on the pressing issue of illegal hunting and its impact on large herbivores, specifically mountain ungulates. Despite increased conservation efforts, many species are still at risk of extinction, and more effective interventions are needed. Our speaker, Arash Ghoddousi, will share his research on analysing ranger-based monitoring data to inform adaptive management. He will present a case study from Golestan National Park, where they identified the main determinants of illegal hunting, such as accessibility, law enforcement, and prey availability. Our discussant, Munib Khanyari, will also share his insights on human-nature relationships in the Trans-Himalayan region of India.

The webinar is open to all and will take place on Tuesday, 11th April 2023 at 14:00 pm Bishkek time. We will discuss the important role of park rangers in wildlife conservation and how data collection can be used to make more effective decisions for conservation management.  We hope to see you there!

About the talk

Poaching is driving many species toward extinction and large herbivores such as mountain ungulates are particularly at risk. Despite ever-increasing conservation efforts worldwide to combat poaching, the status of many target species is alarming and more effective interventions are needed. One of the main requirements for effective conservation measures against poaching is robust predictions of its prevalence and distribution. However, this information is often lacking due to inconsistent or complex data collection approaches. One of the often-untapped sources of data is ranger-based monitoring. In many protected areas, rangers are tasked with patrolling areas and noting their sightings either in analogue (e.g., logbooks) or digital (e.g., GPS) formats. However, in most cases these data are left not analyzed, failing to support adaptive management and decision-making processes.

In this study, we aimed to address this issue and developed a workflow for analyzing data on poaching and wildlife detections from analogue logbooks in an occupancy modelling framework to inform adaptive management. We used Golestan National Park as the case study. We obtained logbook data from nine ranger stations from 2014-2016, and digitized and geolocated 4800 daily patrols. We tested three hypotheses of (1) accessibility, (2) law enforcement, and (3) prey availability as the main determinants of poaching. Our results revealed a low probability (12%) of poacher detection during patrols. Poaching distribution was best explained by prey availability (especially urial), indicating that poachers target areas with high concentrations of ungulates. Poaching pressure was estimated to be high in 39% of our study area. To alleviate poaching pressure, we recommend ramping up patrolling intensity in 12% of the national park. Our approach illustrates the value of analogue ranger logbooks for evidence-based and adaptive planning of protected area management.

About our Guests

Arash Ghoddousi is a research fellow at Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany.​ His research interests lie in understanding the interaction of ecological and social factors in natural systems and how they impact the effectiveness of conservation interventions. The focus of his research is on understanding and improving the effectiveness of protected areas and law enforcement mechanisms, offering insight into human-wildlife conflict and poaching, as well as, improving methods of monitoring large mammals. Arash is particularly interested in the conservation of big cats and mountain ungulates with a special focus on southwest Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. He has close collaborations with conservation organizations around the world including various specialist groups of IUCN (e.g., Cat, Bear and Caprinae SGs), the Snow Leopard Network, and the Society for Conservation Biology – Europe Section.

Meet our discussant – Munib Khanyari – I recently completed my PhD that looked at investigating the impact of environmental and social factors on GIN transmission dynamics between interacting domestic and wild ungulates, exhibiting spatio-temporal dynamics, in temperate Asian rangelands. I now work with the Nature Conservation Foundation as a Program Manager. I work primarily across the Trans-Himalayan region of India, aiming to build positive human-nature relationships.

Date/Time

Tuesday, 11th April, 2023 at 14:00pm Bishkek time

Location

ZOOM, to join this talk, REGISTER HERE

Please note

• If you have never used Zoom before, we recommend that you try the link 10 minutes before the start of the lecture.
• Please feel free to write questions in the comment area and there will be time for questions/discussion at the end of the talk.
• Please note that the session will be recorded and later featured on the SLN website. If you have concerns about this please let us know before the session.

Ranger patrols in Golestan NP