We live in an age when most of the news we get on T.V. and in the papers is bad news. This is often particularly true when it comes to the environment. We hear about another species becoming extinct in the wild. Or read about how climate change could be wreaking havoc on the planet. The latest headlines recount another oil spill killing thousands of fish, birds, and other marine life. So, for anyone interested in conservation, it is a joyous moment whenever we hear something positive about the state of our natural world. Yesterday, we found two inspiring stories about the fate of the Snow Leopard.
New Discoveries and Student Participation
The first, from Discovery News, reports on a newly discovered, healthy population of these rare cats in the mountains of Afghanistan! On Yahoo!News I read about a program in Nepal that is going to enlist school children to track this rarely-seen feline through the use of camera traps. Students will learn how to set up and gather data from the cameras. Biologists will use these photos to estimate the number of Snow Leopards in the area. They will do this by identifying individuals based on the unique pattern of each one’s coat.
The discovery of a previously unknown population and the involvement of school children in the conservation of this species should make us hopeful for the future of the Snow Leopard and many other wildlife species. It will also inspire us to work even harder for the protection of all the wildlife and wild places we hold dear.
Whitehawk Birdwatching and Conservation offers our guests a chance to see one of these amazing cats in the wild! Trek with us through the Himalayas in search of Snow Leopards, wolves, and other amazing creatures found in these striking, rugged mountains. Join us for an adventure of a life time!
