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Snow Leopard Population Discovered in Afghanistan
Science Daily ^ | 07-14-2011 | Staff

Posted on 07/14/2011 2:35:50 PM PDT by Red Badger

The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a surprisingly healthy population of rare snow leopards living in the mountainous reaches of northeastern Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, according to a new study.

The discovery gives hope to the world's most elusive big cat, which calls home to some of the world's tallest mountains. Between 4,500 and 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild scattered across a dozen countries in Central Asia.

The study, which appears in the June 29th issue of the International Journal of Environmental Studies, is by WCS conservationists Anthony Simms, Zalmai Moheb, Salahudin, Hussain Ali, Inayat Ali and Timothy Wood.

WCS-trained community rangers used camera traps to document the presence of snow leopards at 16 different locations across a wide landscape. The images represent the first camera trap records of snow leopards in Afghanistan. WCS has been conserving wildlife and improving local livelihoods in the region since 2006 with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

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

(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: animals; endangeredspecies; extinct
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This is a snow leopard captured by remote camera in Afghanistan. A team of researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society have discovered a surprisingly healthy population of these elusive big cats. (Credit: Wildlife Conservation Society)

1 posted on 07/14/2011 2:35:53 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Let’s export our environmentalists and our EPA over to Afghanistan to save the snow leopard. That’ll destroy their country from within.


2 posted on 07/14/2011 2:39:01 PM PDT by George from New England (Escaped CT in 2006, now living north of Tampa)
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To: Red Badger

And here all this time I thought a snow leopard was a cougar in the lounge of a ski chalet....


3 posted on 07/14/2011 2:39:27 PM PDT by paddles ("The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates." Tacitus)
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To: Red Badger
Of course, I'm sure someone in Afghanistan is using a recent Mac.


4 posted on 07/14/2011 2:40:08 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Red Badger
I thought this was snow leopard:



5 posted on 07/14/2011 2:40:10 PM PDT by Nat Turner (I can see NOVEMBER 2012 from my house....)
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To: Nat Turner

Beat you by two seconds!


6 posted on 07/14/2011 2:41:59 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; asgardshill; devane617; ...

Special cat/big cat PING on behalf of Slings And Arrows. :)=^..^=


7 posted on 07/14/2011 2:42:42 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: Slings and Arrows; Glenn; republicangel; Beaker; BADROTOFINGER; etabeta; asgardshill; devane617; ...

Special cat/big cat PING on behalf of Slings And Arrows. :)=^..^=


8 posted on 07/14/2011 2:44:01 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: Red Badger
Peter Matthiessen's "Snow Leopard," one of the most melancholic and moving travel manuscripts in the contemporary library.
9 posted on 07/14/2011 2:44:18 PM PDT by jnsun (The Left: the need to manipulate others because of nothing productive to offer.)
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To: Red Badger

Pretty cool.


10 posted on 07/14/2011 2:45:06 PM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Red Badger
The bad news is the snow leopards are eating the endangered snow owls.


11 posted on 07/14/2011 2:45:34 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Just once I'd like someone to call me 'Sir' without adding 'You're making a scene.' - Homer Simpson)
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To: jnsun
"Peter Matthiessen's "Snow Leopard," one of the most melancholic and moving travel manuscripts in the contemporary library."

Excellent, excellent book.

12 posted on 07/14/2011 2:50:57 PM PDT by Ranald S. MacKenzie (It's the philosophy, stupid.)
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To: Biggirl

You’re awesome, Biggirl. Thanks for the ping!


13 posted on 07/14/2011 2:54:14 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Oh, well, any excuse to buy a new gun is good enough for me.)
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To: Cyber Liberty

Your welcome!


14 posted on 07/14/2011 3:02:46 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: All

Wow. That’s wonderful!


15 posted on 07/14/2011 3:27:04 PM PDT by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!)
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To: Jeff Chandler

My Nephew just came back from Afghanistan, came up for visit and spring bear. I asked him what kind of animals did he see flying around in the pavehawks.He said nothing, Afghans had everything cleaned out, so poor their cows lived inside house with them for protection.


16 posted on 07/14/2011 3:28:05 PM PDT by Eska
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To: Red Badger

I found this out while watching Planet Earth on Discovery about three years ago.


17 posted on 07/14/2011 3:28:34 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: Red Badger


Roh, tank goodness! I was aflaid of running out of aplodisiacs!

18 posted on 07/14/2011 3:47:50 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Made in America, by proud American citizens, in 1946.)
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To: Eska
so poor their cows lived inside house with them for protection.

A cow is piss poor protection. A dog is better, but they are moslems after all.

19 posted on 07/14/2011 3:49:38 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Just once I'd like someone to call me 'Sir' without adding 'You're making a scene.' - Homer Simpson)
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To: Jeff Chandler

laughing


20 posted on 07/14/2011 5:09:04 PM PDT by LucyT
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