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