Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Snow Leopard Conservation Efforts in Pakistan Overshadowed by COVID-19

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - Wildlife experts say increased sightings of snow leopards
   in Pakistan's northern mountains are promising signs that the
   population of one of the world's most endangered big cats is recovering
   in the area due to ongoing conservation efforts.

   The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic challenges,
   however, are threatening to undermine the two-decade-old "successful"
   campaign run by the nonprofit Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and
   Development Organization, or BWCDO, in partnership with U.S. charities.

   Around 8,000 snow leopards are believed to be left in the wild
   worldwide, and fewer than 400 of them are present in Pakistan,
   including the Gilgit-Baltistan region, where BWCDO is working with
   local village populations to help protect and conserve the snow
   leopard.

   BWCDO pioneered livestock insurance schemes for villagers to compensate
   farmers against livestock losses resulting from attacks by snow
   leopards to ensure the apex predators and humans coexist in harmony.

   Ghulam Muhammad, the project's chief executive officer, said they are
   also working in partnership with the U.S.-based nonprofit organization,
   Iqra Fund, on education and awareness programs for communities in the
   high-altitude villages to sensitize them about protecting and
   conserving wildlife.

   But financial support for these projects has been disrupted due to the
   economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, which
   may prove detrimental for the conservation campaign, Muhammad told VOA.

   Earlier this month, BWCDO and The White Lion Foundation, TWLF -- a
   U.S.-based global wildlife charity -- jointly released exceptionally
   rare footage of a wild snow leopard calling in the Khaplu Valley in the
   wilds of Pakistan's Karakoram mountains.

   "The adult male is exercising his vocal calls to establish territory
   and to let females know he is in the area," said John Knight from TWLF
   in the press release accompanying the video.

   Knight underscored the importance of what he described as "extremely
   unusual" footage, saying that snow leopards are by nature elusive and
   solitary, only coming together to mate and raise their young.

   The rare video was recorded in February with high-tech field cameras
   set up in the area to track and monitor the wild snow leopard
   population in the region, Muhammad told VOA.

   He said his team also spotted three of the leopards in March,
   describing the occurrence as an "incredible symbol of hope" for the
   scenic region's biodiversity.

   "A mother and two cubs, especially so late in the season, tells us that
   snow leopard numbers are growing and that our method of creating a
   means for local communities to benefit from conservation are at the
   very least promising, and at best, successful," Muhammad stressed.

   BWCDO is also helping villagers build predator-proof corrals to reduce
   snow leopard attacks and offering vaccination programs to local farmers
   to reduce loss of livestock through disease.

.