Good article here on The Ghosts of the Mountains...the Elusive Snow Leopards of Kyrgyzstan and those making sure they remain xx eurasianet.org/node/68343 “It’s more than just tying a camera to a rock,” said Koustubh Sharma, instructing conservationists in Kyrgyzstan how to monitor snow leopards with motion-triggered photo and video “traps.” Sharma, a 36-year-old Indian zoologist, has studied the endangered cats in Mongolia’s Southern Gobi region since 2007. His presentation was part of a recent workshop in Bishkek, when Kyrgyz government officials and leading scientists met with representatives of several international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to discuss coordinating efforts to count snow leopard populations in the country, and the wider region. It is no easy task. Snow leopards have earned the moniker “the ghosts of the mountains” for a reason. The elusive cats live in remote regions, often at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,000 meters. They usually forage and hunt at night and their black-and-off-white coats serve as perfect camouflage in the snowy mountain landscape. Their fur has also been a reason for the cats demise. Because of the high prices it earns on the black market, snow leopards have been poached mercilessly since Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The expansion of livestock breeding and infrastructure also has hastened the cats’ decline. Today, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature says snow leopards are endangered, facing a high risk of extinction in the near future. continue reading.....
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 20:15:18 +0000
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