“Malaika is really special. I have never worked with a cheetah like her before. She is a wonderful mother and she is hunting every day.” These were the first encouraging words from Sammy Munene, as we sat beside a relaxed cheetah and her four cubs. The sun was just rising above Kenya’s Maasai Mara game […]
Tag: snow leopard
Why Do High-Altitude Snow Leopards Breathe Like Pussycats?
The snow leopard might rule the high reaches of the Himalaya, but they share some unexpected similarities with the humble house cat, a new study says. Despite living at elevations of more than 16,400 feet (5,000 meters), these spotted big cats breathe in the same way as other feline species that live at sea level—notably […]
Snow Leopard hunt by Adam Riley (INDRI Ultimate Wildlife Tours)
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]