ThisdocumentismadepossiblebythegeneroussupportoftheAmericanpeoplethroughtheUnitedStatesAgencyforInternationalDevelopment(USAID).ThecontentsaretheresponsibilityoftheGSLEPSecretariat,WWFandSLT,anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsofUSAIDortheUnitedStatesGovernment.
BestPracticesinSnowLeopardConservation
AdviceDocumentAddendumtotheGeneralGuidelinesforClimateSmartSnowLeopardLandscapeManagementPlanningLeadAuthor:ChrisCzarnecki([email protected]),SnowLeopardTrust4649SunnysideAveN#325,Seattle,WA98103;YashVeerBhatnagar,PhD,([email protected]),NatureConservationFoundation/SnowLeopardTrust,WWF,3076/5IVCross,GokulamPark,Mysuru,570020,India.ContributingEditors:NilangaJayasinghe([email protected])
1. Background…………………………………………………………………………….…….…………………………..……..….…….2
2. ConservationActivities………………………..…………………………………………………………………………....………2
3. BestPractices………………………….………..…………..…………………………………………………………….…………….3
3.1. Engaginglocalcommunitiesandaddressinghuman-wildlifeconflict…………………………….……..…….3
3.2. Managinghabitatandprey…………………………………………………………………………………………..……..…….5
3.3. Combattingpoachingandillegaltrade………………………………………………………………………………..…….7
3.4. Transboundarymanagementandenforcement………………………………………………………..………….……9
3.5. Engagingindustry…………………………………………………….………………….…………….……............................9
3.6. Buildingcapacityandenhancingconservationpoliciesandinstitutions……………..……..……….…….10
3.7. Researchandmonitoring………….………………………….……………………………………………………...………….10
3.8. Buildingawareness………….…………………………..……………………………………………………………...………….12
4. Summary….……………………………….……………………………………………….……………………………...…………….13
2
1. BackgroundThegoalofGSLEP(GlobalSnowLeopard&EcosystemProtectionProgram)isforthe12snowleopardrangecountries,withsupportfrompartnerorganizations,toworktogethertoidentifyandsecure20snowleopardlandscapesacrossthebigcat’srangeby2020,or,inshorthand–“Secure20by2020”.
“Secure”snowleopardlandscapesaredefinedasthosethat:
1. Containatleast100breedingagesnowleopardsconservedwiththeinvolvementoflocalcommunities
2. Supportadequateandsecurepreypopulations3. Havefunctionalconnectivitytoothersnowleopardlandscapes,someofwhichcross
internationalboundaries.
“Secure20by2020”servesasthefoundationoftheultimategoalofensuringthatsnowleopardsremainthelivingiconofAsia’smountainsforgenerationstocome.
2. ConservationActivities“Secure20by2020”willbeachievedthroughconcreteprojectactivitiesthatcanbegroupedunderbroadthemescorrespondingtothecommitmentsoftheBishkekDeclaration[http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/eca/Bishkek-Declaration-on-the-Conservation-of-Snow-Leopards.pdf].Theseactivitiesinclude:
1. Engaginglocalcommunitiesinconservation,includingpromotingsustainablelivelihoods,andaddressinghuman-wildlifeconflict;
2. Managinghabitatandpreybaseduponmonitoringandevaluationofpopulationsandrangeareas;
3. Combattingpoachingandillegaltrade;4. Transboundarymanagementandenforcement;5. Engagingindustry;6. Buildingcapacityandenhancingconservationpoliciesandinstitutions;7. Researchandmonitoring;and8. Buildingawareness
Thefirstfiveactivitiesaredirectimpactactivities,thosewhosesuccessfulcompletionwillincreaseormaintainsnowleopardandpreynumbers(orotherappropriatemeasuressuchasdensityoroccupancy)and/orprotectorrestorehabitatandconnectivityamongpopulations.
Thelastthreeactivitiesareenablingactivities,thosethatcreatetheconditionsforsuccessfullyperformingorimprovingtheperformanceofthedirectimpactactivities.Forexample,buildingcapacityenablesimprovedeffortstocombatpoaching,whilebuildingawarenessenablesstrongerpublic,political,andfinancialsupportforalldirectimpactactivities.
3
3. BestPracticesPracticesthathaveprovensuccessfulinoneormorerangecountriesarebeingscaledupinthosecountriesandemulatedinothers.Forexample,programstoincreasecommunityparticipationinconservation,improvelivelihoods,andaddresshuman-wildlifeconflicthavebeentestedinseveralcountrieswithverypromisingresultsincludingreductionsinpoachingofsnowleopardsandincreasedwillingnesstoco-existwiththepredators.Creationofanti-poachingteamsandstiffpenaltiesforpoachinghavealsoproveneffective.Effectivescientificmonitoringprogramsarebeingconductedinseveralcountriesandtheirmethodscanbereadilyapplied,withadaptationasnecessary,inothers.Regardingotherconservationactivities,suchasengagingindustry,capacitybuilding,policyenhancementandawarenessbuilding,successfulmodelsareavailablefromotherpartsofthedevelopinganddevelopedworld.
Photo1.AyoungsnowleopardshowsoffitscamouflagecoatinanaridlandscapeinIndia'sSpitiValley.PhotoCredit:NatureConservationFoundation/SnowLeopardTrust
Wehavecompiledalistofactivitiesfromacrossthesnowleopard’srangethatserveasgoodpracticesthatcanbeadaptedandincorporatedintoyourlandscapemanagementplans.Thesebestpracticesareorganizedbytheconservationactivitieslistedabove.
3.1 Engaginglocalcommunitiesandaddressinghuman-wildlifeconflict
Enhancetheroleoflocalcommunitiesinsnowleopardconservationeffortsbyadoptingandimplementingpoliciesandlawsthatfavorcommunityinvolvementinconservation,promotingenvironmentallysustainableeconomicactivitiesthatdirectlybenefitlocallivelihoods,andsupportingcommunity-basedprogramstomitigatehuman-wildlifeconflict.
Reducingandoffsettingeconomiclossesduetohuman-wildlifeconflictandmakingwildlifeconservationbeneficialforlocalcommunitiesisacoreprincipleofsnowleopardconservation.Amongthespecific
4
activitiesbywhichmanycountriesplantoaddressthisprinciplearelivestockinsuranceschemestoprovidecompensationforlosses,improvedpredator-prooflivestockcorralsandimprovedherdingpractices.Thesepracticesandotherssuchaslivestockvaccinationscanbeemulatedandscaledup.
Engaginglocalcommunitiesandaddressinghuman-wildlifeconflictCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
Afghanistan Formationofthecommunity-basedWakhanPamirAssociation(WPA)tooverseesustainablenaturalresourcemanagementandeconomicdevelopment.Activitiesincludeapatrollingprogram(65communityrangersplus10governmentrangers)andacomprehensiveEnvironmentalEducationProgramthatreachesall15schoolsinWakhanandhasafocusonsnowleopardconservationinitiatives.
Patrollingprogramledtofewinstancesofunreportedwildlifecrime
China Mostofcommunityconservationprojectsareundertakenbynaturereserves,includingpubliceducationevents,establishmentofhotlineforcollectionofinformationfromlocalpeople,employinglocalpeopletoparticipateinfieldpatrolsandinvestigations,meetingwithrepresentativestoaddressexistingconflicts,andresearchoneco-friendlylivelihoodsforlocalcommunities.Also,localwildlifeauthoritiesundertakecompensationforlossescausedbysnowleopards.
Significantlyimprovedlaw-enforcementeffectivenesswithmoreinformationcomingfromlocalpeopleanddecreasedrevengekillingofsnowleopardswhenlocalpeopletendtoreporttolocalwildlifeauthoritiestheirlossescausedbysnowleopards.
Nepal,India(Ladakh),Pakistan,Russia
Corralpredator-proofing.Predator-proofmostvulnerablecommunally-utilizedcorralsthatserve10-30+households;2-5structurespersettlementinprovendepredationhotspots.Ensurewire-meshoverroof,securewoodendoor,barredwindows.
Depredationlossesfromwithincorralseliminated,resultinginimprovedperceptionsbylivestockownersandprotectionof5+snowleopardsfromrisksofretributivepoisoningortrapping.Notablyincreasedwillingnessofcommunitytoco-existwithsnowleopards.
Pakistan Communally-manageddaytimeshepherdingofvulnerablelivestockinKhunjerabNP.Herdersinvestsharedresourcesthroughfixed-feepaymentorhouseholdrotationsystem.
Communalherdingbetterallowsforpasturestoberotated,thushelpingreducepredationriskandlowergrazingimpacts.
Pakistan Vaccinationandlivestockinsurance.15villages,30,000headsoflivestockvaccinatedin2013.
Controlledtheoutbreakofpoxintwoprojectvalleys,reducingmortalityratetozerofrompox.
Pakistan InBaltistan,communally-managedandco-financedlivestockinsurancescheme.Fundsforcompensationcontributedon50:50basisbyvillagers(throughperanimalfees)andsponsoringNGO(conditionalgrant).
Greatlyincreasedtoleranceofsnowleopards,especiallyifcomplementedbyincome-generatinginitiativesuchasmarkhortrophyhuntingprogramortourisminitiative
Russia WesternTuva–protectinglivestockcorralsfromsnowleopardsinUbsunurskayKotlovinaNR.Morethan70herdersinTuvaRepublicweretrainedinthesimplestmeansofstrengtheningcorralswiththeuseof
SincethentherehasnotbeenasinglecaseofasnowleopardgainingaccesstoacorralinwesternTuva(beforethis56%ofalllivestockkilledbysnowleopardsinwesternTuvadiedincorrals).Asaresultofthisproject,the
5
metalmesh,andmorethan40corralswereprotectedfromsnowleopardsinMongun-TaigaandBai-TaigadistrictsofTyvaRepublic(about1,500-2,000km2).
numberofsnowleopardssouth-westernTuvaincreasedfrom10-12upto15-20individuals.
3.2Managinghabitatandprey
Intensifyconservationeffortswithinlargelandscapesbyidentifyinganddesignatingcriticalhabitatsofkeysnowleopardpopulationsasno-goareasfordestructivelanduses,maintainingtheirconnectivitythroughnaturalcorridors,andstrengtheningtheiron-the-groundprotection.Alandscape-levelapproachtosnowleopardconservationthatincludesPAsandnon-protectedlandsaswellastransboundarylandscapesisvital.
Specificactivitiesformanaginghabitatandpreyincludedevelopingmanagementplansformodellandscapes,creatingnewPAsandidentifyingcorridorsthatlinkhabitatandPAs.Forexample,returninggrazinglandtonaturalgrasslandhasledtograsslandrecoveryandpreyincreasesinthesnowleopardrangeinChina,whilenewPAsinKazakhstanhavereducedhumanpressureonhabitat,createdlocaljobsandreducedpoaching.
Photo2.TheUkokPlateauNaturalPark,RepublicofAltai,apartoftheUNESCOWorldHeritageSite.Itprovidescriticalhabitatforthesnowleopardandmanyotherendangeredspecies©DenisBogomolov/WWF-Russia
Managinghabitatandprey
Country GoodPractices BriefResultsBhutan Country-widesystemofbiologicalcorridors
connectingPAsContiguoussnowleopardhabitatofasmuchas10,000km2.
6
China 26naturereservesestablishedcoveringabout50%ofrangeareasofsnowleopardpopulations;large-scaleprogramtoreturngrazingareastonaturalgrasslandsimplementedaroundrangeareasofsnowleopardpopulations;researchonmeasurestominimizenegativeimpactsforconnectingfragmentedhabitatsstarted.
Mostofthecoreareasforsnowleopardshavebeenunderlegalandactuallyeffectiveprotectionwhilerecoveryofnaturalgrasslandecosystemsandincreaseofpreyresourcesoccurredinmanyformergrazingareas.
Kazakhstan ForestandHuntingCommitteeestablishedsixnationalparksinsnowleopardhabitat.
Additionaljobsforlocalswerecreated,poachinghasconsiderablydecreased,andanthropogenicpressureonlandscapeshasdecreased;securityofsnowleopardecosystemshasimproved.
Mongolia TheTostLocalPAinMongoliacoversabout6,500km2-aquarterofwhichisgoodsnowleopardhabitat.Since1990smanynewPAswereestablishedinpotentialsnowleopardhabitats.
Basisforprotectionofcriticalsnowleopardlandscapesfromdestructivelandusessuchasmining,dams,andotherlarge-scaledevelopmentprojects.Today,20statePAs,whichcoverkeyhabitatsinMongolia,harborsnowleopards.
Russia SailugemskyNationalPark(800km2)wasestablishedin2010inkeysnowleopardhabitatsinArgutRiverWatershed,AltaiRepublic.
Protectionofsnowleopardhabitats;fightingsnarepoachinginkeysnowleopardhabitatsinArgutarea.
Tajikistan Establishingand/orsupportingmodelcommunityandprivatewildlifemanagementandhuntingareas.
Doublingofibexnumberswithinfouryearsandregularrecordsofsnowleopards;increaseofmarkhor(intotal2012directlyobserved>1,000),regularsnowleopardobservations,stabilizationandlocalincreaseofMarcoPolosheepnumbers;cameratrappinghasshownhighersnowleopardabundanceinmanagedhuntingconcessionthaninunassignedareasdespiteformalhuntingbaninthese.
India Maintaincommunity-managedreservesthatrelyon‘socialfencing’tolimitorexcludelocaluseoftheareabasedonapositiveincentiveprogram.
TriedinSpiti(3sites)andLadakh(2sites)whererecoveryofprey(bharalandibexinSpiti;argaliandbharalinLadakh)hasbeenobserved.Similarcommunity-managedreserveshavealsobeensuccessfulinArunachalPradeshinTawang.TheMoEF’sProjectSnowLeopardsuggestsamosaicofsuchareasasanimportantapproachtoachievinglandscape-levelconservation.
India InaccessibleandnaturallywellprotectedsmallPAswithnegligibleornohumanuseandwellregulated,lowintensitycommunity-basedecotourisminsmallportionsofthePAsince1983.
TriedinNandaDeviandValleyofFlowersNationalParksthatbroughtremarkableimprovementinthestatusofwildlifeandtheirhabitats.ThesetwoNPsactascontrolsitesforlong-termmonitoringincludingclimatechangeimpacts.
India Conflictmitigationandreducingantagonismandretaliatorykillingofsnowleopard.CorralImprovement:ca.4,250livestock;Insurance:over180householdswithca.600
CorralImprovement:Almosttotaleliminationoflosses.Insurance:Reductioninlosses.Monetarycompensationoflosses:Slight
7
livestock,overallareaofover1,000km2.Compensation:directcompensationforlivestocklostat10%ofthemarketpriceoftheanimal.
improvementseeninattitudesofpeopleinabout10years.
3.3Combattingpoachingandillegaltrade
Combatpoaching,illegaltrade,andotherwildlifecrimesbystrengtheninglawenforcement,collaborationamongcountriesandinternationalagreements/networks,anddevelopingeffectivemechanismsforeliminatingtheillicitdemandforillegalwildlifeproducts.
Specificactivitiesincludebuildinglaw-enforcementcapacitythroughtrainingandequipment,buildingcommunityanti-poachingnetworks,andstrengtheninglegislationandeducationtoreduceillicitdemand.Severalgoodpracticesshowhowincreasedlawenforcementandstrongpenaltiesforpoachingandcommunityanti-poachingnetworksandothermeansofengaginglocalcommunitiescanreducepoaching.
CombattingpoachingandillegaltradeCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
Afghanistan Outreach,education,communitygovernancebuilding,andtraininganddeploymentof55communityrangersacross11,000km2tomonitorsnowleopardsandotherwildlife,enforceanti-poachingregulations;buildingofpredator-proofcorralstominimizeconflictandretaliatorykilling.
Snowleopardeducationintiativesin14of15schoolsinWakhan;over5,000cameratrapphotostakenbycommunityrangers;fivesnowleopardscaptured,collared,andmonitoredwithcommunityinvolvement;declinesinpoachingofsnowleopardsandprey;over20corralsbuiltandnolivestocklossinfamiliesusingthem.
Afghanistan Surveyidentifiedinternationalcommmunity(developmentandmilitary)asdriveroftrade;focusedoutreachaimedatdevelopmentcommunity;trainingatmilitarybasesonillegalityoftrade;governmentstafftrainedinCITESregulationsandtheprocessingofCITESpermits;traininginenvironmentallaws,wildlifetrade,andprotectedspeciesgivento19policestationsinandaroundKabul.
Removalofillegaltradeitemsfrombasebazaars;trainingexpandedtomilitarybasesandacademiesinUStoeducatemilitarybeforedeployment.
China Chineselawslistsnowleopardasaspeciesundernationalkeyprotectionatfirstlevelandprohibithuntingofthespeciesexceptforpurposesofscientificresearch,publiceducation,publicsecurity.Utilizationofsnowleopardsmustbeapprovedwithspecialpermitswhilenopermitsarenowissuedforcommercialpurposes.Severepunishmentsfromhighpenalties(10timesincome)uptolifeinprisonhavebeensetbylawsandregulationsonillegalactivitiesincludingpoaching,illegaltrade,etc.Authoritiesofforestry,publicsecurity,customs,commercialandindustry
CurrentlyinChina,noevidenceindicatestheexistenceoforganizedpoachingthattargetssnowleopardproducts.Also,therearenolegalindustriesusingsnowleopardfurorboneforcommercialpurposes.Casesofpoachingandillegaltradeoccuroccasionallyandarrestedoffendershavebeensentencedandpunished.Especiallysince2011,illegalactivitiesconcerningsnowleopardshaveclearlydecreased.
8
administrationarelegallyresponsibleforlegalinvestigationandlawenforcementontheaboveillegalactivities.Mechanismforgovernmentalagenciestocoordinatelawenforcementestablishedin2011.
Kazakhstan Reducingpoachingthroughsubstantialincreaseofpenalties.Penaltiesforpoachingasnowleopard(US$22,724)andall5subspeciesofmountainrams(US$17,043).Totalbanontheirhunting.
Poachingofsnowleopardsandotherrarespecies.hasdecreased.NocasesofsnowleopardspoachinginKazakhstanreportedsince.
KyrgyzRepublic
GruppaBars(brigade)foranti-poaching.RaidsagainstpoachersinallregionsoftheKyrgyzRepublic,especiallyinthenorth.InNarynregion,35,000km2,andinIssyk-Kulregion,25,000km2,arecoveredbytheteam,togetherwithStateinspection.
Reducingtheofficialnoticeonthesaleofskinsofsnowleopards,etc.Atthemoment,theRehabilitationCenterhasonlyfivesnowleopards.
Mongolia Twointer-agencyirbis(snowleopard)anti-poachingteamswereestablishedinwesternMongoliatoconductregularpatrollinginsnowleopardhabitat.
Asaresult,thenumberofpoachingincidentsin5westernprovinces,inkeysnowleopardhabitatsdecreasedrapidly.
Pakistan Reducepoachingthroughlivestockvaccinationprograms.3-5livestockdieofdiseaseforeveryonekilledbyawildpredator,i.e.,theeconomiclosstodiseaseismuchlargerthantopredation.Morethan90,000livestockvaccinatedin2012.
70-100%reductioninlivestockmortalities.Increasedcashincomebysellingmorelivestock.Increasedmeatconsumptioninthecommunity.Increasedtoleranceforsnowleopard.Reducedrisksofdiseasesinwildlife.
Russia Inter-agencyanti-poachingbrigadesandregularsnareremovalcampaignsinkeysnowleopardhabitats.TwobrigadeswereestablishedinAltaiandSayanMountains.Theyregularlypatrol1,500km2ofkeysnowleopardhabitatsinArgutRiverWatershed,AltaiRepublic,andSayano-ShushenskyNRanditsbufferzone,KrasnoyarskyKray
NumberofpoachersnaresinkeysnowleopardhabitatsinSayano-ShushenskyNRdecreasedfrom800-900tozerobetween2008and2013.InArgutarea,numberofsnaresinkeysnowleopardhabitatsdecreasedfrom500-800(2008)to50-100(2013).
Russia Developmentofsmallbusinessprogramforlocalcommunitiesinsnowleopardhabitatsasalternativetosnarepoaching.TwodistrictsofAltaiRepublic:Kosh-AgachandUlaganDistricts,includingpartsofOngudayandUst-Koksadistricts(totalareaabout20,000km2).Annually,500-700peopleareinvolvedintheprogram.
Numberofpoachingcasesintheareaofactivitiesdecreasedbyatleast20%incomparisonwith2010.Over1,200low-incomepeopletrained,over70peopleobtainedmicro-loansandgrantsandstartedtheirownbiodiversityfriendlybusiness.Morethan200newjobsforlocalcommunitieswereestablished.
Russia AltaiandTuvaRepublics–LandofSnowLeopardFestivals.Schoolsof5districtsinAltaiRepublicand4districtsofTuvaRepublic(1,500-2,000people)annuallyareinvolvedinthesefestivals.
Numberoffestivalparticipantsincreasedfrom70in2010to2,000in2012.FestivalbecametraditionaleventinAltaiandTyvaRepublicsandinvolvesmanykidslivinginsnowleopardhabitatstolearnmoreaboutvalueofsnowleopards.
9
3.4Transboundarymanagementandenforcement
Increasebilateralandregionalcooperationforsnowleopardconservationintransboundarylandscapes.Thisisacoreprincipleofsnowleopardconservationgiventheextenttowhichsnowleopardhabitatabutsnationalbordersandtheimportanceofmaintaininglargelandscapes.
Manytransboundaryinitiativesamongsnowleopardcountriesareinvariousstagesofimplementationalready.Moreover,compendiaofgoodpracticesintransboundarycooperation,especiallymanagementoftransboundaryPAs,areavailable;somesnowleopardcountrieshavealsobeenpursuingtransboundarymanagementandenforcementfortigerlandscapes,whichcanpotentiallybescaledupforsnowleopardconservation.
Photo3.WWFsnowleopardanti-poachingunitintheAltanKhokkirange,KharUsNuurNationalPark,MongolianAltai,Mongolia©HartmutJungius/WWF
3.5Engagingindustry
Ensurethatindustry,infrastructure,andruraldevelopmentprogramsandprojectsarefullysensitivetotheconservationneedsofsnowleopardsandtheirecosystems,donotadverselyaffectorfragmentkeypopulationsorcriticalhabitats,andemploywildlife-friendlydesignandmitigation.
EngagingindustryCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
Mongolia TheNatureConservancyassessedminingimpactforthesouthernMongolianecoregion,usingindicatorspecies.
Recommendedareasforbetterprotection.
10
3.6Buildingcapacityandenhancingconservationpoliciesandinstitutions
Significantlystrengthenthecapacityofpolicy-makers,front-linemanagers,communityleaders,andcivilsocietyforcommunity-basedconservation,effectivelawenforcement,andlandscapemanagementthroughsupportingknowledgeexchange,communitiesofpractice,andcooperationamongstakeholders.
Manyspecificcapacitybuildingactivitiesarerelatedtostrengtheningconservation-relatedlegislationandpoliciesthroughbuildingawarenessamonggovernmentleadersandconservationdepartmentstaff.
BuildingcapacityandenhancingconservationpoliciesandinstitutionsCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
China SnowleopardhasbeenlistedasapriorityspeciesforsalvationintheNational12thFiveYearPlanofForestryDevelopmentandNationalProgramforWildlifeConservationandNatureReserveDevelopmentwhileaspecialplanforprotectionofsnowleopardpopulationsandtheirhabitatsisunderwayforpublicationandimplementation.
Investmentinsnowleopardconservationhasbeenincreasedgraduallyandobviousgrowthcanbeexpectedinthenottoodistantfuture.Also,moreattentionhasbeenpaidtothespeciesatconcerned,differentlevels.
India Initiatedstate-federalpartnershipProjectSnowLeopard(PSL).ProjectSnowLeopardeffectivelycoversfivestates,ca.130,000km2,innumerablevillagesandhouseholds.TheUpperSpitiLandscapeManagementPlanunderthePSLcoversca.4,000km2,ca.40villages,andca.7,000people.
Positivenumericchangesinwildlifenumbersandpeople’sattitudesinafewyears’timeareexpected.
3.7Researchandmonitoring
Evaluateandmapcurrentstatusofkeysnowleopardhabitatsandpopulations,setbaselinesagainstwhichtoassessfuturechange,conducteconomicvaluationofsnowleopardhabitats,andintensifyscientificresearchandmonitoringtoinformfuturepolicyandaction.
Allsnowleopardcountriescurrentlyhaveatleastsomelevelofresearchandmonitoringtakingplace,mostimportantlytosetbaselinesagainstwhichtomeasureconservationprogressandtoadaptconservationplanningandmanagementasneeded.Topicsofplannedresearchactivitiesincludebutarenotlimitedtomovementecologyofsnowleopardsandprey,climatechangeimpacts,populationdynamics,anddisease.
11
Photo4.SnowleopardscratchtracesinYamaatvalleyinTurgenMountainsStrictlyProtectedArea.UvsProvince,Mongolia©AntonVorauer/WWF
ResearchandmonitoringCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
Afghanistan WakhanCorridor–ongoingcamera-trapsurveysofsnowleopards;studyofsnowleopardprey;depredationsurvey;trackingofsnowleopardsusingGPScollars,coupledwithcameratrapping.
Betterunderstandingofsnowleopardmovement,habitatuse,homerange,andeventuallypopulationestimation.
China Centralwildlifeauthorityarrangedfundingespeciallyformonitoringandresearchonsnowleopards,andappointedachiefexperttoleadtheprojectwhoholdstrainingcoursesforlocalstafftoundertakefieldmonitoringorconvenesmeetingstocollectinformation,analyzeexistingproblems,anddiscussactivitiesfornextstepseachyear.
Helpwildlifeauthoritytobetterunderstandthesituationofsnowleopardpopulations,habitats,andexistingthreats.
India Understandsnowleopardabundancealongagradientofpreybiomass(Spiti).Understandingsnowleoparddietsalongagradientofdomesticandwildpreyratios(Spiti).
Questionssuchas‘doesincreasingpreybiomassleadtohighersnowleopardabundance?’;‘doesincreasinglivestockbiomassleadtoincreasedsnowleopardabundanceorisittheopposite?’;‘willconflictsincreasewithincreasinglivestockabundance?’willbeanswered.Thesestudies,thatusecamera-trapbasedandmoleculartools,areprovidingestimatesofsnowleopardassessmentsoverlargelandscapes(ca.2,000km2).EstimatedabundanceinSpitiaverages0.64/100km2.
12
India Numerousstudiestounderstandpatternsofconflictsbetweenlocalcommunitiesandsnowleopardsindifferentpartsoftherange.
Thesestudiesprovidepatternsofconflicts,includingamountoflosses,vulnerablelivestock,vulnerableageclasses,vulnerablepastures,etc.Ultimatelytheyhelpindevelopingsoundmitigationstrategies.
India CameratrappingstudiesinLadakh,Uttarakhand,andSikkim.
Densityestimatesforsnowleopardandpreyspecies.
Kazakhstan Stateresearchprogram:theCommitteeonSciencehasstartedtofinancetheprogramofstudyingsnowleopardsattheZoologyInstituteinAlmaty,whichwasconfirmedbytheMinistryofEducationandSciencein2012.Nowthedeepsectoralanalysisoftheeconomyforworkingoutthefinalprojectofthe“GreenEconomy”Strategyisbeingcarriedout.
Increasedunderstandingofsnowleopardpopulationsandtheirhabitats.
Mongolia Threatreduction-basedplanningandmonitoringprotocoltomonitoreffectivenessofconservationprograms.Allvillagesinthelandscapeareincludedandallkeyareasofbiologicalsignificance:snowleopardhabitat,preybreedingandcalvingareas,andcorridors.
Abilitytoestablishbetterbaselinedataforsnowleopardsincludingpopulationabundance,density,andlifehistoryparameters;emergingorunaddressedthreatstosnowleopards;evaluationoftheabilityofourprogramstoaddress/reduce/manageexistingandongoingthreats.
Russia Monitoringofkeysnowleopardpopulation.AnnualmonitoringofkeysnowleopardmetapopulationsinArgutRiverWatershed,Chikhachev,Tsagan-ShibetuandWesternSayanRidgesontotalareaofabout1,500km2m.Since2012,startedsnowleopardmonitoringinEasternSayanMountains:TunkinskyRidge(about500km2).
Informationonsnowleoparddistributionandabundanceisannuallycollectedfor4keysnowleopardpopulationsinRussiatosupportconservationactions.
3.8Buildingawareness
Communicatetocitizensandvariousstakeholders,includinglocalcommunities,youth,differentbranchesandarmsofthegovernment,civilsociety,andtheprivatesectoraboutthevalueofsnowleopardsandtheirecosystem.Eachyear,awarenesseventscanbeheldaroundInternationalSnowLeopardDaywhichtakesplaceonOctober23rd.
BuildingawarenessCountry GoodPractices BriefResults
China SnowleopardhasbeenlistedasapriorityspeciesforsalvationinNational12th-5Year’sPlanofForestryDevelopmentandNationalProgramforWildlifeConservationandNatureReserveDevelopmentwhileaspecialplanforprotectionofsnowleopardpopulationsandtheirhabitatsisunderwayforpublicationandimplementation.
Investmentinsnowleopardconservationhasbeenincreasedgraduallyandobviousgrowthcanbeexpectedinthenottoodistantfuture.Also,moreattentionhasbeenpaidtothespeciesatconcerned,differentlevels.
13
India Initiatedstate-federalpartnershipProjectSnowLeopard(PSL).ProjectSnowLeopardeffectivelycoversfivestates,ca.130,000km2,innumerablevillagesandhouseholds.TheUpperSpitiLandscapeManagementPlanunderthePSLcoversca.4,000km2,ca.40villages,andca.7,000people.
Numericchangesinwildlifenumbersandpeople’sattitudesinafewyears’timeareexpected.
Photo5.ChildrenpreparingfortheSnowLeopardFestivalinAk-Shyrak,Kyrgyzstan©AndyIsaacson/WWF-US
4. Summary
Manygoodconservationactivitiesandpracticesarebeingimplementedacrosssnowleopardrange;however,theseactivitiescoveronlyasmallpercentageofthesnowleopard’smassivetotalrange.Majoropportunitiesexistforgrowthandscalability.Oneoftheprimarychallengesandopportunitiesforthesnowleopardconservationcommunitymovingforwardwillbetogainabetterunderstandingofwhichconservationactivitiesandcombinationsofconservationactivitiesaremosteffectiveandthusmostworthgrowingandscalingup.
Asyoudevelopyourlandscapemanagementplan,trytolearnasmuchasyoucanaboutthevariousconservationactivitiestakingplaceinotherpartsofsnowleopardrangeandseewhichactivitiesmightalsobebeneficialinyourlandscape.Theconservationactivitieslistedinthisdocumentareagoodplacetostartbutitissuggestedthatyoudofurtherresearchastherearemanyothersnowleopardconservationactivitiestakingplacethatarenotlistedhere.
Recommended
