New book about snow leopard is published in English by Kazakhstan’s Snow Leopard Fund

The new book about snow leopard
is published in English

“IRBIS – The Snow Leopard”

The edition is carried out at the initiative of the Kazakhstan’s “Snow Leopard Fund” (Ust Kamenogorsk) at the financial support of UNDP/GEF – Kazakhstan within the limits of the project “Conservation and suistanable use of biodiversity in the Kazakhstan’s part of Altai-Sayan ecoregion”.

In 2009 biologists Oleg and Irina Loginov had a book about a snow leopard “The Snow Leopard. A symbol of Celestial Mountains” (on Russian) which already became a curiosity. And recently there was also a new colourful picture album about a snow leopard, only already in English. The picture album can be interesting to foreign tourists. It also a fine gift for those who goes on a visit abroad.
“The Silver Wonder”, “Spirit of Mountains” – so faithfully and admiration are spoken by people about a snow leopard. At many people irbis is sacred animal. Meanwhile, number of a kind steadily decreases because of poaching on great parts of its areal. In the middle of XX century in the Central Asia the tiger and the Asian cheetah have been completely exterminated. The similar fate expected and irbis if measures on preservation of this most beautiful silvery cat of high mountains have not been taken. In 1948 the International Union of Nature Conservation – IUCN, become by the initiator of the edition of the Red Book has been created. The snow leopard was is taken under special protection not only the IUCN Red List and regional Red Books, but also Washington Convention – CITES, and also laws on protection of fauna and criminal codes which exist in all countries where irbis lives.
Despite strengthening of measures of protection and special attention of the international organisations to a snow leopard last years, its number continues to decrease. The failure in the field of education of the various strata of society is especially great. In public consciousness the snow leopard image – “The Master of Celestial Mountains”, and a predator never attacking people, can be very attractive. But the potential of this appeal while is used very poorly. And kind protection is still insufficient – more than 90 % of habitats of a snow leopard are not covered by especially protected natural territories. But all places of snow leopard habitats in mountains, as a rule, have no intensive economic activities, therefore can quite become extensive natural parks or game reserves. Examples to that are – the Himalayan kingdom Bhutan, the country which quarter is made by national parks. There too there live snow leopards. On any animals in the country hunting is forbidden also they involve tourists who bring in the income to the country much bigger, than the industry. In Nepal and India also it is much given to irbis protection and the considerable quantity extensive NPT is created. It is necessary to follow these countries an example.

The snow leopard can help the Central Asian countries to become even more attractive to tourists, climbers and researchers of all world.

It will be promoted also by Loginov’s book-picture album about a snow leopard. From it is possible to learn all about this cat who as though unites the largest Asian states of the world: Russia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and some more other highlands of the Central Asia, living in high mountains along borders of these states. On its pages there are data about number of a rare animal, the area of its habitats in the world, a protection condition in the most important national parks and reserves both national parks and other most interesting details of biology and behaviour. The book is written emotionally, is entertaining and accessible to the widest audience. It can be used and as the additional manual for schoolboys and the students, and for the foreign tourists, wishing to learn more about a live symbol of “Celestial Mountains”, and in general for people all not indifferent and loving the nature. At a book writing, the big work with the literature is spent, the big material and knowledge which have laid down in its basis is saved up. The unique photos of a wild snow leopard made in the nature in Almaty area in Dzungarian Ala-Tau (Kazakhstan) by Renat Minibaev and beautiful snow leopard portraits of Raphael Kettsian from Ekaterinburg (Russia), and also water colour drawings by Victor Bakhtin, Victor Pavlushin and Oleg Loginov’s pictures have decorated a picture album and have made its unique. Irina Loginova fairy tale ”Spirits of Sacred Mountain” also is included in the edition, illustrated with drawings of the author.

Data about a picture album:
The format – 21,5 х 28 sm
Cover – the firm, laminated matte
Pages – 136,
Illustrations – 205
Circulation trial – 250 copies.

Coordinates of authors: Kazakhstan,
Phones: 8-72331-39347, +7-705-4616016,
e-mail: irbisslc@yandex.ru

From: Логинов Олег [mailto:irbisslc@yandex.kz]
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 11:21 AM
To: sln-members@lists.snowleopardnetwork.org
Subject: Re: SLN – SLN News: New book about snow leopard is published in English (Kazakhstan’s Snow Leopard Fund)

Hello Rana,

Thanks for dispatch of the information on a picture album and placing in a blog. We already receive letters. Except a picture album, in Novosibirsk (Russia) is published Irina Loginovoj’s fairy tale for children in Russian with drawings of known artist Victor Pavlushina. There is a transfer and into English as a part of a picture album. There is an idea to publish separately same fairy tale in English and we search for means for this purpose.

Sincerely, Oleg

Transboundary reserve to be established in Altai

http://www.gorno-altaisk.info/news/10893

14 Jan 2011

The Russian Federation’s Cabinet of Ministers approved an agreement between the governments of Russia and Kazakhstan to establish the “Altai Transboundary Reserve.” A corresponding decree was signed by Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Prime Minister, on 27 December 2010.

The draft agreement states that the Altai Transboundary Reserve is being established with the goals of protection wildlife and landscape diversity in mountainous Altai, facilitating bilateral cooperation in environmental conservation and rational natural resource use with the consideration of ecological, social, and cultural perspectives.

RIA Novosti reports plans for conducting environmental monitoring and research on natural habitats and sites in Altai, increasing environmental education outreach to the local population, and ecotourism.

The transboundary reserve will include Katunsky State Biosphere Reserve (Russian Federation) and Katon-Karagaysky National Nature Park (Republic of Kazakhstan).

Translation by Jennifer Castner

“Irby,” named after the Irbis snow leopard, is the official mascot of the seventh Asian Winter Games.


January 30, 2011

Asian Winter Games Open In Kazakhstan

It may not be the Winter Olympics, but Kazakhstan is hoping that the 2011 Asian Winter Games will promote its status as a world-class sporting venue with future Olympic potential.

The Asian Winter Games, which kick off today, will bring together more than 1,100 athletes from 27 Asian countries for a week of competition in Kazakhstan’s two main cities of Astana and Almaty.

The event is considered highly prestigious among many Asian states, with countries like China, Japan, and South Korea all sending their leading athletes.

Today’s opening ceremony will be held at a newly build 30,000-seat arena in the capital, Astana. Another arena in the city will host competitions in speed skating, while two other skating stadiums will be the venue for figure skating and ice hockey.

Kazakhstan, along with Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan, are considered the likeliest medal contenders in hockey.

Almaty, meanwhile, is hosting the bulk of the outdoor events, including cross-country skiing, biathlon, freestyle and alpine skiing, and ski jumping.

Kazakhs Hope For Third

Kazakhstan, exercising its right as host, has introduced two unusual disciplines to this year’s games: ski orienteering, a form of cross-country skiing that tests both endurance and navigational skills; and bandy, a form of ice hockey played on an outsized ice rink the size of a soccer field.

The hosts are among the favorites to win in both sports.

It is unlikely that Kazakhstan will come in ahead of the region’s two sporting giants, China and South Korea. But Kazakh sports authorities say they are hoping to win up to 25 medals and a third-place finish this year.

The previous Asian Winter Games were held in 2007 in Changchun, China. The host country took first place, with Japan and South Korea finishing second and third.

Kazakhstan, a rising power in Central Asia thanks to rich energy reserves, has sought to boost its standing on the international stage, and recently completed its chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, becoming the first member of the Commonwealth of Independent States to hold the year-long post.

It has invested nearly $300 million in sporting infrastructure ahead of the games.

The country’s sports minister, Temirkhan Dosmukhambetov, said his country had a “serious chance of winning the right to host the Winter Olympics in the near future.”

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakhstan_asian_winter_games/2291607.html

Snow leopard sighting/poaching increase in Kazakhstan 2010

In Russian-language newspapers, there were accounts of a snow leopard sighting in the Dzhungarian Alatau area of Kazakhstan earlier this year. It was reported in an October 26 2010 article by reporter Aliya Akhmedieva at www.centrasia.ru for Radio “Azattyk” and also in Guns.Kz- a website for gun clubs in Kazakhstan. The person who saw and photographed the snow leopard was Renat Minibaev and it was Jan. 11 2010. He took several impressive photos of the cat. Both articles expressed concern that poaching was increasing in the area.

Here is a paragraph in Russian with the account from Minibaev and the link to the ecological page with a photo: http://ekocenter.kz/news/2010-10-23-211 .

№ 196 (17068) от 22.10.2010
Лариса ШТОППЕЛЬ, Алматинская область
Одна случайная встреча с редким животным сделала текелийца Рената Минибаева знаменитым на весь мир. Уникальные фото снежного барса он выложил в Интернет, и его тут же приняли во Всемирный фонд дикой природы, а потом и в казахстанский фонд Snow Leopard Fund, созданный год назад ученым-биологом Олегом Логиновым.
Ренат Минибаев приехал в январе этого года на юбилей Георгия Михайловича Чупринова. Этот старичок-боровичок много лет живет на пасеке в Коринском ущелье, напрочь позабыв про цивилизацию.
– Мы с собакой Дружком решили прогуляться. С собой я взял только фотоаппарат и на всякий случай петарду, – говорит Ренат. – Вдруг справа от меня легла тень. Рядом стоит шикарный зверюга с огромным пушистым хвостом. Пес залаял, а барс тихо зарычал, оскалившись. Я испугался, конечно, и зажег петарду. Когда понял, что зверя я не интересую, то вспомнил про фотоаппарат. Начал снимать. Ирбис лег под елкой на солнышке, развалившись, как домашний кот. Несколько кадров отлично получились, остальные – мимо. Когда стали возвращаться на пасеку, увидели его следы. Он шел за нами почти от самой речки!

P.S. Численность ирбиса в Казахстане в среднем составляет около ста особей.
http://www.express-k.kz/show_article.php?art_id=44776

Another page that has Minibaev’s photos of the wild snow leopard is: http://bigcats.ru/index.php?bcif=irbises-vstrecha.shtml. The link at the end of this paragraph in Russian is to another article that claims there are about 100 snow leopards left in Kazakhstan.

Ренат Минибаев приехал в январе этого года на юбилей Георгия Михайловича Чупринова. Этот старичок-боровичок много лет живет на пасеке в Коринском ущелье, напрочь позабыв про цивилизацию. – Мы с собакой Дружком решили прогуляться. С собой я взял только фотоаппарат и на всякий случай петарду, – говорит Ренат. – Вдруг справа от меня легла тень. Рядом стоит шикарный зверюга с огромным пушистым хвостом. Пес залаял, а барс тихо зарычал, оскалившись. Я испугался, конечно, и зажег петарду. Когда понял, что зверя я не интересую, то вспомнил про фотоаппарат. Начал снимать. Ирбис лег под елкой на солнышке, развалившись, как домашний кот. Несколько кадров отлично получились, остальные – мимо. Когда стали возвращаться на пасеку, увидели его следы. Он шел за нами почти от самой речки!

P.S. Численность ирбиса в Казахстане в среднем составляет около ста особей.
http://www.express-k.kz/show_article.php?art_id=44776

Kazakhstan faces many severe environmental issues

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Kazakhstan-ENVIRONMENT.html

Note: We have no information re: the source of this article’s information or what date this was published online. Located May 2010.

Kazakhstan faces several important environmental issues. As the site of the former Soviet Union’s nuclear testing programs, areas of the nation have been exposed to high levels of nuclear radiation, and there is significant radioactive pollution. The nation also has 30 uranium mines, which add to the problem of uncontrolled release of radioactivity. Kazakhstan has sought international support to convince China to stop testing atomic bombs near its territory, because of the dangerous fallout.

Mismanagement of irrigation projects has caused the level of the Aral Sea to drop by 13 m, decreasing its size by 50%. The change in size has changed the climate in the area and revealed 3 million hectares of land that are now subject to erosion.

Air pollution in Kazakhstan is another significant environmental problem. Acid rain damages the environment within the country and also affects neighboring countries. In 1992 Kazakhstan had the world’s 14th highest level of industrial carbon dioxide emissions, which totaled 297.9 million metric tons, a per capita level of 17.48 metric tons. In 1996, the total had dropped to 173.8 million metric tons. Pollution from industrial and agricultural sources has also damaged the nation’s water supply. UN sources report that, in some cases, contamination of rivers by industrial metals is 160 to 800 times beyond acceptable levels. Pollution of the Caspian Sea is also a problem.

Kazakhstan’s wildlife is in danger of extinction due to the overall level of pollution. According to current estimates, some areas of the nation will not be able to sustain any form of wildlife by the year 2015. In the areas where pollution is the most severe, 11 species of mammals and 19 species of birds and insects are already extinct. As of 2001, 15 mammal species, 15 bird species, 5 types of freshwater fish, and 36 species of plant are listed as threatened. Threatened species include the argali, Aral salmon, great bustard, snow leopard, and tiger. The mongolian wild horse has recently become extinct in the wild.

WWF Russia released a report on attitudes toward hunting and poaching in the Altai-Sayan region

WWF Russia released a report in English by Agnieszka Halemba  and Brian Donahoe of the University of Leipzig and Max Planck Institute respectively on attitudes toward hunting and poaching in the  Altai-Sayan region, including some material on attitude toward hunting of snow leopard. The report can be downloaded at http://www.wwf.ru/altay/eng/.  The Altai press also reports that Kazakhstan and Russia are planning for a transboundary reserve in the Altai region and that a 2008 conference took place in Kazakhstan on the project. Additionally, WWF Russia is planning to initiate ecotours into snow leopard habitat along the Argut River. (Altaipress.ru Feb 13, 2009)

Thanks to SLN member Kathleen Braden for this update.