Snow Leopard Network (SLN)

On #WorldRangerDay 🇵🇰 honored 7 rangers at the #Wildlife Protection Awards Ceremony in Islamabad

Recognized for courage, service & impact, these rangers are true biodiversity guardians

👏Congrats to all awardees & the team behind this meaningful event!

#RangerAwards #Conservation
SLF-PAK slf.org.pk

Help us create awareness of the iconic snow leopard! Enter the Snow Leopard Conservancy's Artwork & Poetry Contest 2025! Submission Deadline is August 15.

snowleopardconservancy.org/snow-leopard...

Artwork - Rosabelle Wildlife Art

Our partner in Pakistan, the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation & Development Organization "conducted a site survey to lay the foundation for a new predator-proof corral," which will protect livestock from predatory attacks—not only from snow leopards, but also wolves, lynx, & foxes."

Photos- BWCDO

On #WorldRangerDay 🇵🇰 honored 7 rangers at the #Wildlife Protection Awards Ceremony in Islamabad

Recognized for courage, service & impact, these rangers are true biodiversity guardians

👏Congrats to all awardees & the team behind this meaningful event!

#RangerAwards #Conservation
SLF-PAK slf.org.pk

Tech Powering Thailand’s Rangers Just in time for World Ranger Day, Khao Laem, set to become the first National Park in Thailand to use the EarthRanger.

Announced today on #WorldRangerDay: Khao Laem NP is Thailand’s first National Park to roll out EarthRanger.

Real-time maps + alerts = faster responses, safer patrols & stronger protection for tigers like M7.

Read more: conservewildcats.org/2025/07/31/t...

On #WorldRangerDay, we honour rangers for their efforts in the conservation of migratory species as they safeguard wildlife corridors, fight poaching & help animals thrive. 🐘🏞️

Watch the “I Am a Ranger” video by International Ranger Federation. More at www.internationalrangers.org/world-ranger...

Portrait of Maocuo Yang, the team’s leader petting her horse, while smiling in the bright daylight.

Landscape of mountains and river during sunset, the sky clear blue. Captured at Qilian Mountain National Park.

Five members of the wildlife ranger team sat amongst brown grasses together outdoors while they talk and laugh together. Behind the mountain landscape stands out against the blue sky.

Two female wildlife rangers stand huddle together with notepads and pens as they record data in the field.

Meet the women protecting snow leopards in China’s Qilian Mountains. 🙌 #WorldRangerDay

Made up of 32 females from local communities, they form the backbone of conservation efforts & protect the rich biodiversity.

These women are not only rangers - they’re educators, mothers, and changemakers. 💚

When rangers succeed, entire ecosystems win🌏

Female #ranger Enkhbileg Sh. prevented 16 #wildlife crimes in snow leopard territory. Munkhtenger T.'s investigation secured £10,000+ in ecosystem compensation.

Real impact. Real heroes. #WorldRangerDay #SnowLeopardConservation

📸 SLCF-Mongolia, SLF-Kg

#WorldRangerDay honors diverse #conservation heroes: rangers, Indigenous guardians & communities.

In 2025: Kyrgyzstan recognized 27 rangers, Mongolia honored 18 who stopped crimes & protected #snowleopard habitat. Every case ripples across ecosystems🏔️

#ConservationStrategy

Stories from the field:

🇰🇬Kultuev Bekmyrza (Kyrgyzstan 2025): Used forensic investigation of 3 illegally hunted ibex→£5,200 in convictions

🇵🇰Sarmad Shafa (Pakistan 2024): Survived armed confrontation while protecting #wildlife

#Ranger skills + science = stronger enforcement

📸 SLCF-Mongolia, SLF-Kg

#WorldRangerDay honours the brave professionals who risk everything to protect our planet's natural heritage.

This year's #RangerAwards in snow leopard range countries have celebrated extraordinary achievements in Kyrgyzstan (March), Mongolia (April) & Pakistan (happening TODAY)
🧵

From seeing the 1st ever photo & pioneering radio-tracking Dr. Rodney Jackson transformed #snowleopardconservation through passion, perseverance & community action. Thanks to Rodney, Rinzin & all who participated in this special webinar!
📺 www.youtube.com/live/7JiXhxY... @snowleopardcons.bsky.social

https://snowleopardnetwork.org/2025/07/01/sln-special-webinar-presentation-forty-eight-years-among-the-snow-leopards-of-central-and-south-asia-from-the-first-telemetry-study-to-mobilizing-communities-and-fostering-multisectoral-partnership Forty-eight Years Among the Snow Leopards of Central and South Asia: from the first telemetry study to mobilizing communities and fostering multisectoral partnerships. In this webinar, Rodney Jackson – the first scientist to radio-collar snow leopards shares milestones along his 45+year career dedicated to the research and conservation of this seldom seen big cat. Much of Rodney’s pioneering work was undertaken before the introduction of PC computers, hand-held GPS devices, or smartphones and without the benefit of walkie-talkies or digital cameras. His study area in Western Nepal was only reachable via a 12-day or more trek over arduous, dangerous trails, with all supplies, food and equipment for the 3–6-month field session portered in by local people or, more rarely, on yaks. Rodney and his team rarely saw snow leopards but nevertheless were able to gather extensive information on snow leopard behaviour, movements and habitat selection using telemetry and tracking social signposts along travel lanes favoured by male and female snow leopards alike. From this seminal study, Rodney will share his work training Protected Area rangers in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Mongolia using sign transects (SLIMS) to conducting the first camera trap and non-invasive studies, pioneering community-driven conservation and wildlife-livestock conflict mitigation, to working with Traditional Cultural Elders, shamans and educators in Central Asia. Over the past few decades, he has focused on mentoring the next generation of conservationists. Rodney and Rinzin will then discuss how studies of snow leopards and their prey have changed from the “muddy boots” days of the 1970s-1990’s to involve closer and more interactive exchanges with local communities for resolving human-wildlife conflict, address climate change and laying basic framework for empowering local people to become increasingly effective as citizen scientists and front-line guardians of the snow leopard, its mountain biodiversity and their own environment. While key questions remain, like “how many snow leopards are there?”, the need for more strategic conservation action to address many growing threats remains. Indeed, the future of snow leopards rests with the current generation of biologists, ecologists and social scientists — men and women working in tandem with local people (especially pastoralists and herders) and government rather than being heavily driven by academia. About our Speaker: South-African-born Dr. Rodney Jackson (MSc UC Berkeley; PhD Univ. of London) pioneered snow-leopard radio-tracking in Nepal (Rolex Award 1981–85; National Geographic cover 1986). He co-founded the Snow Leopard Trust and later established the Snow Leopard Conservancy (2000) and SLC-India Trust (2003). Jackson led the SLIMS survey standards, authored the snow-leopard chapter of IUCN’s Cat Action Plan, trained range-country biologists, and consulted for the World Bank and UN agencies. A five-time Indianapolis Prize finalist and Honorary Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, he now chairs SLC’s board, mentors emerging conservationists, and trials drone-based prey surveys in Mongolia. (see more: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/2025/07/01/sln-special-webinar-presentation-forty-eight-years-among-the-snow-leopards-of-central-and-south-asia-from-the-first-telemetry-study-to-mobilizing-communities-and-fostering-multisectoral-partnership) About our Facilitator: Rinzin Phunjok Lama is an internationally recognized conservationist from Humla, Nepal. He holds a BSc in Forestry from Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, and a Master’s degree in International Nature Conservation jointly from the University of Göttingen, Germany, and Lincoln University, New Zealand. Rinzin currently leads UKALI, a community-led initiative focused on trans-Himalayan biodiversity conservation in Nepal, with emphasis on his native Upper Karnali region. Since 2014, Rinzin has been actively involved in high-altitude wildlife research and conservation, contributing numerous peer-reviewed publications. His leadership and dedication have earned him several prestigious accolades, including the WWF Nepal Conservation Award (2020), the prestigious Rolex Award for Enterprise (2021), and recognition as one of Time magazine’s Next Generation Leaders (2022). In 2024, he received the Future for Nature Award and the National Geographic Wayfinder Award, and was named among OnlineKhabar’s “40 Under 40” most influential youths in Nepal.) SLN Special Webinar - Forty-eight Years Among the Snow Leopards of Central and South Asia.

🎥 Snow Leopard Network posted a video

@snowleopardnet.bsky.social

📣 It's today! ⏰

Step into 40+ years of #snowleopard science with Dr. Rodney Jackson — from muddy boots to modern conservation.

Humla-born conservationist Rinzin P Lama, head of #UKALI, has led high-altitude #wildliferesearch & #communityconservation in Nepal since 2014. His work earned him many honors from orgs like WWF, ROLEX, TIME, Future For Nature & NatGeo #WayfinderAward.

Dr. Rodney Jackson led the 1st radio-tracking of #snowleopards in 1980s Nepal, co-founded @snowleopards & @SnowLeopardCons, shaping #coexistence, surveys & training across 12 countries. A 5x #IndianapolisPrize finalist, he now mentors future conservationists.

Join us this Thursday for "48 Years of #SnowLeopard #Conservation & Methodological Evolution"

July 10 ⏰ 09:15 Bishkek
July 9 ⏰ 20:15 California

A must for researchers, practitioners & policymakers. Free but limited spots-bring your questions!

Register bit.ly/48yearsSLs

Explore the shift from traditional ecology to community-driven #conservation and the need for multisectoral partnerships.

Highlighting local communities as key stakeholders and citizen scientists in shaping future #wildlifemanagement and human-wildlife #coexistence.

Join us for this opportunity to dive into Rodneys remarkable career, tracing the evolution of #snowleopardresearch from early "muddy boots" methodologies in remote landscapes to todays sophisticated approaches. Discover how his work laid ground for current #conservationstrategies

bit.ly/48yearsSLs

🐾 48 Years of #SnowLeopardConservation & Methodological Evolution

On Thursday (10th) SLN is hosting a landmark webinar featuring Dr. Rodney Jackson, the pioneering scientist behind the 1st radio-telemetry study on #snowleopards & Rinzin Phunjok Lama, internationally recognized conservationist.

https://snowleopardnetwork.org/resource-centre/webinars/ SLN Webinar: Two leopards, One Landscape: Patterns of Coexistence in the Trans-Himalayan Region, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal This webinar presentation delves into the ecological coexistence of two apex predators—the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and the common leopard (Panthera pardus)—within the trans-Himalayan region of Nepal. Drawing from a combination of historical accounts dating back to the 1950s and extensive winter camera trap data collected between 2016 and 2023 in the Annapurna Conservation Area (elevations 3,100–4,696 m), the study challenges conventional assumptions about the recent appearance of common leopards at high altitudes being solely a result of climate change. Instead, the findings reveal a long-standing adaptation of common leopards to high-altitude environments, including successful foraging and breeding in extreme winter conditions with temperatures as low as -18°C. Spatial analysis indicates that the likelihood of species co-occurrence increases in areas near open forest canopies and farmland, and decreases with proximity to snowline and steeper terrain, underscoring the snow leopard’s affinity for rugged landscapes. By examining spatial, temporal, and ecological interactions, this presentation provides a deeper understanding of the factors enabling the coexistence of these two charismatic felids and offers valuable guidance for future conservation planning in the high Himalayas. About our Presenter: Dr. Paras Bikram Singh is a conservation ecologist from Nepal with a PhD in Ecology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He worked for six years in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) as a conservation officer. During his PhD and time with ACA, Paras carried out extensive field research in the Himalayas, focusing particularly on Himalayan musk deer and large carnivores such as the snow leopard. Paras is currently the Director of BIOCOS Nepal (www.biocosnepal.org.np), an organization dedicated to biodiversity conservation. His approach combines scientific research with community-based conservation initiatives aimed at protecting threatened species. Paras’s work has significantly contributed to understanding species distribution, habitat use, and coexistence dynamics in the Annapurna Himalayan region of Nepal. He has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications and remains actively involved in local conservation outreach. At BIOCOS, the current focus of research and conservation programs is on common leopards, snow leopards, red pandas, musk deer, and Nepal’s pheasants. About our Facilitator: Pawan Rai holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and has been working with BIOCOS Nepal since 2023. With a strong interest in ecology, he is actively engaged in wildlife research across Nepal, focusing on both ecological patterns and conservation challenges. His work emphasizes community-based conservation approaches that integrate local knowledge and participation. In addition to his field expertise, Pawan has a good background in GIS and remote sensing, which he effectively applies in spatial analysis and habitat mapping. He is also skilled in designing and managing conservation programs that are scientifically sound and socially inclusive. SLN Webinar: Two leopards, One Landscape

🎥 Snow Leopard Network posted a video

@snowleopardnet.bsky.social

🐆 Let’s keep the discussion going—tell us your biggest takeaway or tag someone who should watch!

📽️ youtube.com/live/6Kdd0SI...

#snowleopard #leopard #research #Conservation
📸 Biocos Nepal

📰 Dive deeper in the team’s open-access article: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

"Decades of leopard coexistence in the Himalayas driven by ecological dynamics, not climate change"

#Himalayas #Ecology #Conservation

📜 Some takeaways:

3/3: Common-leopard adaptability – breeding and winter activity at −18 °C highlight remarkable physiological and behavioural resilience.

#ConservationScience #Nepal #leopard
📸Biocos Nepal

📜 Some takeaways:

2/3: Significant habitat overlap – camera traps recorded both species at the same stations, even below the treeline, revealing complex predator interactions.

#PredatorEcology #Himalayas
📸Biocos Nepal

📜 Some takeaways:

1/3: Historical coexistence, not just climate change – common leopards have shared > 3,000 m habitats with snow leopards since at least the 1950s.

#LeopardResearch #HighAltitudeWildlife
📸Biocos Nepal

SLN Webinar: Two leopards, One Landscape YouTube video by Snow Leopard Network

📽️ Missed it live?

Catch the full webinar on YouTube: youtube.com/live/6Kdd0SI... 🎥

#ConservationScience #snowleopards #leopards

👏 Huge thanks to Dr. Paras Bikram Singh & Pawan Rai for the very insightful talk this week, and to everyone who joined and fired up the chat with thoughtful questions. Your engagement made the conversation richer for all.

#SLNWebinar #BigCats

Join us for an insightful webinar challenging assumptions about common #leopards high-altitude adaptation. Discover new findings on their long-standing presence & successful breeding in extreme winter conditions.

📣 Monday, June 30: 14:30PM (Bishkek time)

Bit.ly/SLN2leopards

It's next Monday!!