Snow Leopards Spotted in Afghanistan

Jul 13, 2011

A population of snow leopards has been discovered in north-east Afghanistan by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Located in Wakhan Corridor, hidden cameras have revealed the rare cats at 16 locations covering a broad area. Up to 7,500 snow leopards are believed to live in the wild in the mountains of various Central Asian countries.

But in Afghanistan, the animals are at risk from the pet and fur trades, and from retaliation by shepherds, according to a WCS study.

"This is a wonderful discovery—it shows that there is real hope for snow leopards in Afghanistan," said Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director for Asia Programs, in a press release.

"Now our goal is to ensure that these magnificent animals have a secure future as a key part of Afghanistan's natural heritage."

Since 2006, WCS has helped to protect the leopards through a conservation project that involves ranger training, partnership with local communities, and education in schools.

"By developing a community-led management approach, we believe snow leopards will be conserved in Afghanistan over the long term," said lead author Anthony Simms, the project's Technical Adviser, in the release.

Rangers enforce poaching laws, and watch over other species, like Marco Polo sheep, with 59 rangers trained so far. Meanwhile, shepherds are assisted through a livestock insurance program and construction of predator-proof corrals.

The project also helped create Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan's first national park, with shared management by the government and local communities.

The WCS study was published in the Journal of Environmental Studies on June 29.

Source: The Epoch Times.
Link: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/science/snow-leopards-spotted-in-afghanistan-59051.html.