It was our third day in high elevation Hemis National Park, we had awakened before dawn and chugged down a mug of life-giving coffee before ascending a few hundred yards to a knoll above our tented camp in the Rhumbak Valley. At this very spot, on our first afternoon in the park, and within half […]
Tag: snow leopard
Asian countries make historic pledge to save the ‘ghost of the mountain’
Representatives from Kyrgyzstan and 11 other Central and South Asian countries made a historic pledge today to protect and conserve snow leopards and their habitat in the high-mountain landscapes of Asia. Joined by conservation experts from around the world and the international donor community, the 12 nations endorsed the Bishkek Declaration on Snow Leopard Conservation […]
Yeti may be undescribed bear species
The purported Yeti, an ape-like creature that walks upright and roams the remote Himalayas, may in fact be an ancient polar bear species, according to new DNA research by Bryan Sykes with Oxford University. Sykes subjected two hairs from what locals say belonged to the elusive Yeti only to discover that the genetics matched a […]
First snow leopard caught on NABU camera in Kyrgyzstan
A stately snow leopard has been caught on one of the 18 cameras recently set up by NABU (BirdLife in Germany) in the Tian Shan mountains, in Kyrgyzstan, one of the species’ last refuges. Nobody knows exactly how many of these endangered cats still live in the wilderness, but experts estimate that there are about […]
Quest to save the snow leopard
Two decades after he first aimed his rifle at one of the world’s rarest mammals, Karmal was again on the hunt for the elusive snow leopard. Stalking through the mountains of north-eastern Afghanistan, he was getting closer. There were paw prints in the sand and scratch marks on the limestone boulders, signs that the leopard […]
Snow leopards and wild yaks becoming ‘fashion victims’
Snow leopards, wild yaks and other iconic wildlife on the world’s highest mountains and great steppes are becoming “fashion victims” of the surging global trade in cashmere, new research has revealed. Scientists found wildlife being driven to the margins of survival by the “striking but unintended consequences” of huge increases in the numbers of the […]
Russia sets tougher penalties for trafficking endangered animals
Russia’s State Duma has approved legislative amendments that mean tougher punishments for poaching and trafficking of rare species will come into force. The draft law was submitted by President Putin in March 2013 following a meeting with WWF Russia CEO, Dr. Igor Chestin in August 2012. It means anyone found smuggling “endangered species” can be […]
Why endangered species need conservation champions
Without heroic conservationists many of today’s most beloved species would be extinct: think of pandas, tigers, and elephants. By single-mindly focused on saving a particular species, these conservation champions bring much-needed research, publicity, and, most importantly, targeted actions to keep an imperiled animal from the brink. Through their own exuberance, these heroes also gather others […]