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snowlady444
King of the Jungle
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 450
Location: on a lake somewhere
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 Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:29 pm Post subject: Satellite to Track Elusive Pakistani Snow Leopards |
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[quote] | Quote: | Satellite to Track Elusive Pakistani Snow Leopards
November 29, 2006 — By Reuters
ISLAMABAD — Conservationists in Pakistan have for the first time attached a satellite tracking collar to a snow leopard with the aim of gathering crucial information for efforts to save the endangered big cats. |
I think that this information will be so valuable for the future of the Snow Leopard.
| Quote: | | "It is the first time that a satellite tracking device has been put on them and they are being tracked through the global positioning system," Aslam said on Tuesday. |
Just think of the possibilities for other animals and wildlife in the future also!
| Quote: | The study is being carried out by WWF-Pakistan, the Snow Leopard Trust conservation group and the wildlife department of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province.
There are between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards left in the world, between 200 and 420 of them in Pakistan, according to the Snow Leopard Trust. |
Which is a lot more than I thought there were, but conservation is still the key on keeping them alive, and anything toward that goal is definitely a step forward for mankind also , in my book!!! 
| Quote: | | "By looking at this tracking data we'll know their home range -- what is the minimum area a snow leopard requires to live and thrive." |
Source: Reutres
I just love Science and Technology when it's used to help the animals!
link to the article:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061128/india_nm/india278084
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I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.
~George Washington Carver
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SnowLady444
Last edited by snowlady444 on Tue Dec 05, 2006 7:51 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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kitty24
Ocelot
Joined: 21 Jul 2005
Posts: 3926
Location: Missin' my Lokster big time! :^(
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| Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Wow...between 3500 & 7000?! Those numbers are actually somewhat better than I had read in other places before. The following excerpt from the article made me smile really big..
| Quote: | "Snow leopards are nocturnal, they live at an altitude which is not very healthy for human beings and they are also very elusive so we really don't know a lot about them," he said.
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That is somewhat good news that they live so high up in the mountains, making it alot harder for man to disturb them, so hopefully they will thrive for generations to come! And thank God for elusiveness! (Is that a word? lol  )  
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Every little bit, DOES help, often in a BIG way. ~kitty24~ |
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gb3llma
Baby Polar Bear
Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 2329
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:05 am Post subject: |
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Those numbers caught my eye too! Made me wonder if captive (zoo&otherwise) animals were included in that count. Actually, I went and did a little quick net-surfing and learned that:
| Quote: | | An estimated 3,500 to 7,000 wild snow leopards roam the mountains of central Asia today (see table at right). In addition, there are between 600 and 700 snow leopards in zoos around the world. |
From http://www.snowleopard.org/catfactsclassroom/catfacts/population
There are some really interesting videos in another section of the Snow Leopard Trust website. Go down below the promo vid on this next link and check out some of the cool footage of Snow Leopards in the wild.
Go here http://www.snowleopard.org/photos/videoclips/ try out Ghost of the Himalayas....*sigh* What a wonderous feline!
Thanks for posting this Snowlady......it's a good one   We need all the good news we can get hey? )
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"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." ~John Muir~ |
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vlad
Clouded Leopard
Joined: 24 Jul 2005
Posts: 2703
Location: Enjoying the CYBER-JUNGLE!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:15 am Post subject: Snow Leopard an Umbrella Species |
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We're getting our collective nerds on! 
Thanks Snowlady for posting that GREAT NEWS for snow leopards! The big cats can always use some good news. Below is a quote from the article which you shared with us, and a quote from the article as well. (Whew! The link I found was HUGE! But there are ways around that...)
| Quote: | | There's an urgent need to conserve them. |
Satellite to track elusive Pakistani snow leopards
Tue 28 Nov 2006 3:14 AM ET (Reuters)
(Source: News.Nabou.com website)
The Snow Leopard page on the Carnivore Preservation Trust website notes that in addition to the threats posed by poaching, humans hunting them and loss of habitat -- snow leopards face the additional challenge of occupying a very large territory with harsh climatic conditions. Because of this individual snow leopards might have a more difficult time finding each other to mate. NOT GOOD if their numbers are already dimenishing. And although the numbers may seem high at first glance -- these are animals facing challenges which are causing their numbers to decline.
Carnivore Preservation Trust: Snow Leopard (Uncia Uncia)
The Reuters article also mentioned that the snow leopard is considered an "umbrella species." Wikipedia defines an umbrella species as "a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected." This make protecting their habitat even more important.
| Quote: | | "Snow leopards are nocturnal, they live at an altitude which is not very healthy for human beings and they are also very elusive so we really don't know a lot about them," he said. |
Several websites that I visited noted the enlarged nasal cavities, long thick belly fur, shortened front legs and other adaptations of snow leopards, which allow them to thrive at high altitudes which would be excessively unhealthy for most humans. Considering those obstacles to observing them, in addition to their elusive nature -- studying them by satellite seems like a GREAT IDEA -- and I applaud the collaborative effort of WWF-Pakistan, the Snow Leopard Trust conservation group and the wildlife department of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province!
Further kudos to them for simultaneously addressing the human/animal conflict by offering insurance to farmers who lose livestock to snow leopards!
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Don't forget to check out the Tigerhomes Education Pages article by Jason!
Snow Leopard
Story By: Jason Abels Assistant Director,
Tigerhomes Animal Sanctuary
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Laura -- Thanks for sharing the vids
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"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." - Henry Ford |
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