Tag Archives: leopard

Rare Photos Showcase Snow Leopard Cubs in Their Den

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Two of the five snow leopard cubs recently photographed in Mongolia

SLCF-Mongolia/Snow Leopard Trust

A team of researchers explored two snow leopard dens in the Tost Mountains of Mongolia, studying and capturing images of five cubs, which provided a rare chance to gather data on this endangered species.

Before their expedition in June and July, researchers had not been able to access snow leopard nests globally since 2019. Örjan Johansson of Snow Leopard Trust noted, “The burrows are situated in tight cracks and caves. We only get one opportunity. If the mother returns before we locate the burrow, we have to stop our search. Going back more than once is too intrusive.”

Johansson and Bren Nyam, a local field ranger, pinpointed the burrow’s approximate location by tracking GPS collars that had been previously attached to 20 adult female snow leopards.

The burrow where the cubs were found was located by tracking the mother’s whereabouts

SLCF-Mongolia_snow Leopard Trust

Johansson explained, “The range of female snow leopards’ homes in Mongolia’s South Gobi region typically spans about 130 square kilometers, which is approximately 2.5 times the area of Manhattan. Without the GPS collar, we would not have discovered their burrows.” However, even with the collars, the team had to search an area as vast as 60,000 square meters to pinpoint the exact location.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is categorized as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimated 3,920 to 6,390 individuals remaining in the wild. These cats inhabit alpine terrains across Central Asia, spanning 2 million square kilometers across 12 countries, including China, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Their populations face threats from habitat loss, poaching, and conflicts arising from livestock predation.

Johansson noted, “To effectively model and predict population trajectories of multiple species, we must grasp essential factors such as fertility, mortality, and the dynamics of animals entering and leaving an area.” He collaborated with the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation on this project.

“Visiting the dens is crucial as it is the only means to gather information on average litter sizes and cub survival rates during their first five to six months. Before this age, cubs typically remain secluded with their mothers. Accessing the burrow allows researchers to collect invaluable data that would otherwise be unattainable. Such information is essential for enhancing understanding of snow leopard ecology and informing conservation strategies for a sustainable future.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

India’s initial snow leopard study shows that there are only 718 of them remaining

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Snow leopard in Ladakh, India

Wim van den Heever/naturepl.com

India’s first snow leopard survey estimates that there are 718 big cats living in six mountainous regions of the country.

They make up about 10 to 15 percent of the world’s population, and conservationists believe they number between 3,000 and 5,400 people.

snow leopard (panthera uncia) inhabit vast areas of remote mountainous regions, making them one of the most difficult predators to study.

The study, led by Wildlife Trust of India, was conducted from 2019 to 2023 and involved setting up 1,971 camera traps covering 120,000 square kilometers of habitat.

This represents over 70 per cent of the snow leopard’s potential habitat across the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Approximately 34 percent of this area is under legal protection.

While 241 cats were photographed, evidence of leopard feces, fur, and body marks was found in the survey area, which covers approximately 100,000 square kilometers.

Snow leopards live in 12 countries in Asia, but primarily in the rugged Himalayas of China and India. The species was listed as endangered in 1972 and reclassified as endangered in 2017, but is still considered to be in decline.

“Snow leopards are beautiful, mysterious, ghostly animals, but they’re so much more than that,” says biologist George Schaller, who first photographed a snow leopard in Pakistan in 1971. “Snow leopards tend to symbolize the region and people of the time.” We begin to focus on the region as a whole, not just the snow leopard. Protecting it therefore protects the area for the benefit of all wildlife and local communities. ”

India’s goal is to use this baseline for long-term population surveys to improve monitoring, said Bhupender Yadav, India’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Forests and Climate Change. This is what the agency did in his 1970s with Project Tiger, creating conservation measures to increase the tiger population.

“These periodic assessments provide valuable insights to identify challenges, address threats, and develop effective conservation strategies,” says Yadav.

But some local figures fear the announcement could backfire. “This is one of the rarest animals, and this number may change the way we look at it,” said wildlife photographer Morap Namgair. snow leopard tour In Ladakh. “People might think 718 is an exaggeration, so it might change the psychology of conservation.”

Namgeir believes local people must take the lead in conservation efforts. “As locals, we share the mountain, so we have a responsibility to keep its numbers at the same level, if not increase,” he says. “They are the world’s most difficult animals to study, and we may never know how many there are. But we are committed to our efforts because protecting them protects us all.” Have to.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A spectacular first photo of a snow leopard captured under the stars

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Looking for ghosts requires special patience. The chances of finding it are low, but doubting means giving up, so keep looking.

This is a technique for tracking snow leopards. Morap Namgair learned that early. He was five years old when he first saw the animal in his remote village of Ulay in Ladakh, India. The area is full of wildlife and is a paradise for aspiring photographers like Molap and his younger brother Stanzin. These big cats are called locally. Shanimmortalized in the BBC series Planet Earth II They were mainly grateful to their father, Norbu, who followed them as a crew member.

Ladakh had just become famous for its sightings, but everything was shut down due to the pandemic. That’s when the brothers vowed to photograph something no one had ever photographed before: a snow leopard under the stars. They hoped the image would highlight the beauty of this mountain region and its apex predator, thereby spurring efforts to conserve both. The region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, threatening landscapes and wildlife. The brothers believed that if the outside world could only see what was at stake, that would influence the government’s actions.

They spent months blanketing the area with cameras. However, halfway through the project, Stanzin died of heart disease. Although it was difficult, Morap pushed forward on his own.

Last August, on a 33°C (91°F) day, he climbed a ridge at 4,900 meters above sea level. “What I found on camera was a dream come true,” Morap says. He was bittersweet though. “Buddhism believes in reincarnation. I always look at snow leopards and often think, ‘What would happen if Stan Jin was reincarnated as a snow leopard?’ Perhaps he will stop for a photo or perhaps say hello. Maybe he did.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com