The Bronx Zoo based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) did a study during a few years ago that found military personnel in Afghanistan were supporting the illegal wildlife trade by buying furs coats and animal products including snow leopard pelts. Most buyers did so because they were not aware that it was illegal and that the wildlife was endangered. Consequently WCS worked with the Department of Defense to educate them and explain threats posed by the illegal wildlife trade to combat missions. This video, narrated by acclaimed actor/director and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, Edward Norton, informs U.S. military personnel about the consequences of buying illegal wildlife products when stationed overseas

Team commemorates opening of Mount Noshaq to climbers. Anthony Simms from WCS Afghanistan. Photo WCS.

After the recent good news of remote cameras photographing more snow leopards in Afhganistan comes another piece of good news. The country’s highest mountain, Mount Noshaq (7492 metres) is again open to the mountaineering community after many years closure due to conflict and insecurity.

Mount Noshaq is located in important snow leopard habitat in the Hindu Kush Mountains of the Wakhan Corridor. Other important species on the mountain are Marco Polo sheep, urial and ibex (wild goat), all snow leopard prey.

Afghani villagers at conservation education program. Photo Haqiq Rahman WCS.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Afghanistan Program Technical Advisor, Anthony Simms commemorated the opening with a climbing expedition a few weeks ago. He was accompanied by a team, which included Tim Wood (the first Australian to reach the summit) and Aziz Beg (only the third Afghan national to reach the summit).

During the 1970’s Afghanistan was a major destination for many young international tourists going across Asia to Europe and I was one of those, spending 5 wonderful weeks there one winter. I’m so delighted that this area, with snow leopards, is now safe again.

Recent camera trap photo of snow leopard in Afghanistan suggests more cats in the Wakhan region than previously thought.Photo WCS.

“This expedition marks the revival of a once popular tourist site that was forgotten during the country’s political unrest,” said Peter Zahler, Deputy Director of WCS’s Asia Program. “Despite the turmoil that continues in some parts of the country, Wakhan is just one of a number of areas in Afghanistan that are very safe from a security standpoint, and where tourism is already providing jobs and improved livelihoods for local people while providing an incentive to protect the country’s fragile environment and wildlife.”

Well done WCS! They are are working with over 50 local communities across the country to help management of natural resources and building community conservation programs that protect wildlife and improve villagers’ livelihoods. They’ve trained 59 community rangers to monitor snow leopards and other species and supporting conservation education in schools. More information see WCS Afghanistan Program.

A recent WCS study has found more snow leopards in Afghanistan's Wakhan corridor than previously thought to be in that area of snow leopard habitat. Photo WCS.

News from a recent snow leopard study in Afghanistan suggests the war torn nation may have a healthy cat population in the mountains of the northeastern Wakhan Corridor. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), supported by USAID, used camera traps to photograph the solitary and shy cats. The study has been reported in the June 29 issue of the Journal of Environmental Studies and was conducted by WCS conservationists Anthony Simms, Zalmai Moheb, Salahudin, Hussain Ali, Inayat Ali and Timothy Wood. The scientists trained local rangers to position the camera technology at 16 locations in the vast mountain region. Anthony Simms says “The camera trapping that has been conducted in Wakhan to date has primarily been aimed at training our rangers to use the technology, not for scientific purposes. However, we are just preparing to commence a snow leopard mark-recapture survey across a large swathe of the Hindu Kush mountains.”

If indeed the photos show individual cats and not the same few leopards in many shots this is welcome news that after many years of conflict the cats have not been killed or chased away. The WCS is to be commended for this work as well as the involvement of local communities to benefit people and the snow leopards in this corner of snow leopard habitat. See more photos on Snow Leopard Network website.

Thanks to Sally Walker of Zoo Outreach Organisation who has a close association with Kabul Zoo for sending this email to “Saving Snow Leopard” Blog about the AFP (Agence France Presse) article on the director of the Zoo, Aziz Gul Saqeb’s trip to India to get animals for the zoo, including a snow leopard. We posted the AFP article a few days ago but Sally maintains the report was incorrect. It’s good to hear that Kabul Zoo staff are keen to make proper improvements before they take on animals there.

Sally writes - ”Aziz and his colleagues were invited to India and Nepal only for the purpose of training which they participated in Nepal and then for a tour (again for purpose of training) of good zoos nearby Delhi. I praise all efforts of the staff of the Kabul Zoo, the Kabul Municipality of Kabul for their very hard work and also the North Carolina Zoo and its many partners for raising funds to start the restoration of Kabul Zoo after its virtual destruction by war. Aziz did not state they had come to collect animals, that was a presumption of the AFP reporter.

“So far as I know the administration and staff of the Kabul zoo are working hard to bring it up to a standard that would permit them to interact with zoos in the rest of the world as equals and thereby participate in some conservation activities (already they are immersed in conservation education as I described in the article), then, perhaps including obtaining other animals. I’d like to clarify, however, that zoos today (good zoos, at least) are very careful about obtaining from or sparing animals to other zoos. The organized zoo community (the good zoos) has thus far been very helpful to Kabul Zoo with funds to rebuild and for training. Aziz, himself, protested the claim stating (and this is a real quote from the man) “we are not ready!”

“The Kabul Zoo staff is, however, in a whirlwind of activity to rebuild the zoo as a better zoo than ever. In its day, the Kabul Zoo was of international standard as a joint project of the Kabul University, some external professors and Kabulians. Time and particularly the war took its tool on the zoo but and it is now on a very positive course of action to restore itself even better than before and join the global zoo community as a conservation partner. The five persons who came (Aziz, Director, Amadhi, Advisor to Mayor of Kabul, Rohella, Director of Culture, Najib, Education Officer and Abdul, Veterinary Officer) are all very keen to have a zoo that all the zoos and NGOs who have assisted them will also be proud of… that is their priority before they bring any animals.”

Sally Walker, founder of Zoo Outreach. Photo Zoo Outreach

I see from a news report today Kabul Zoo officials are keen to restock their Zoo after severe damage over the last 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan. I wondered if staff and the facility are ready to take on the responsibility and safety and well being of new animals? Certainly for the troubled people of the country a well run and humane zoo would be a boost to confidence and education.

AFP reports Kabul zoo director, Aziz Gul Saqeb, who is leading a zoo team to India said “”Afghanistan wants an elephant, a leopard and a snow leopard from India because at present it does not have these animals.

Indian authorities have agreed to help us regarding the upkeep of the elephant once it is transported to Kabul,” he said after inspecting animals in a state-run zoo in the northern Indian town of Kanpur.

Snow leopard photo captured in Afghanistan in 2009 by WCS.

But is the Zoo ready to house new animals like a snow leopard? Sally Walker, a wildlife and zoo conservationist and founder of the Zoo Outreach Organisation recently visited Kabul Zoo and reported on her efforts and those of zoos in the west, USAID and Wildlife Conservation Society to help with education of local staff and rehabilitation of the zoo facilities. According to Sally’s report improvements have been made, so perhaps the time has come for a few new animals to be given a home there.

Importantly the Zoo is educating its visitors – adults and school kids alike, about animal treatment and conservation, as sadly there’s been a history of animal taunting in the past. With the support of other agencies in Asia and the rest of the world, it would be wonderful to see the benefits that a good zoo can bring to the people of a country. A professionally run zoo could improve conservation of Afghan wildlife as well. Snow leopards are highly endangered in Afghanistan’s snow leopard habitat and the zoo could play an active part in educating the youth of the country to help protect the cats.

Habiba Sarabi, Afghanistan's first provincial governor, fighting for the environment

Habiba Sarabi became the first female governor of an Afghan province, the province of Bamiyan in 2005. Bamiyan is one of the poorest of all provinces and the place where the ancient Bamiyan Buddha carvings had stood for 1400 years before the Taliban blew them up in 2001.

Sarabi’s role in snow leopard conservation has been through her fight to establish the 570 square kilometre Band-e-Amir National Park which was declared, with the help of the Wildlife Conservation Society in May 2009.

Snow leopards used to live in this region but it is not known, if after years of active hunting and the war, any remain. However there are still significant numbers of animals that are snow leopard prey, like ibexes (wild goats) and urials (wild sheep), so it is possible that the elusive cat may return to survive here once more.

Snow leopard caught in camera trap in Wakhan corridor, Afghanistan 2009. Photo by WCS.

Today the snow leopard is protected under Afghanistan’s new endangered species list, which was announced shortley after the opening of the National park in June 2009. However illegal snow leopard hunting is still common with a cat caught as recently as March this year.

Sarabi’s conservation credentials include leadership in showing her fellow countrymen and women tourism needs to be in harmony and not exploit landscape and wildlife. Time Magazine acknowledged this role when they nominated her in “Heroes of the Environment in 2008”.

Band-e-Amir National Park, one of the stunning blue lakes. Photo by AP.

Sarabi wants Bamiyan to lead the way in the development of Afghanistan’s environmental practice, because, she says “I am doing this for the future of my people. They may not understand now why it is so important, but if we can preserve the environment and our natural resources it will bring wealth for our children.”

The six stunningly beautiful lakes in the National park were being impacted by ever more local tourists whose cars parked on the fragile banks and many local developers whose new restaurants were discharging polluted waste water and rubbish into the turquoise waters. Most importantly Sarabi inspired local communities to take an active role and they now decide environmental policies and how to educate their own people as well as tourists.

Captured snow leopard in Afghanistan. Photo Essay by Richard Fite in Time magazine.

Readers may recall the story of the captured snow leopard in Afghanistan I wrote about in March. Richard Fite, the US veterinarian who advises for the U.S. Agricultural Department in northern Afghanistan, tried to save the cat, which had been captured for the illegal wildlife trade, but sadly she died.  Richard shared his hope with the world that at least many government officials and others in the country are now more aware of the need to help these rare animals and perhaps the remaining snow leopards will be treated better.

Time magazine recently released a photo essay of truly shocking photos taken by Richard of the poor cat. I hope, along with Richard and others in Afghanistan, that these photos will help in educating people of the need to actively protect these animals. I don’t believe it’s an over statement to say, that it will take a lot of effort, a real lot, to stop snow leopards becoming extinct in the wild in Afghanistan in our lifetime. May this poor snow leopard not have suffered and died in vain.

Captured snow leopard in Afghanistan. Photo by Richard Fite. Story USA Today.

As humans we’re always looking for the positive in a story. We have to look pretty deep to get a positive from this horrible story from Afghanistan this week. Some conservationists are saying it shows that local Afghans are more protective of snow leopards now – lets hope so. But the sad death of this animal was pretty shocking.

At the end of February a German civilian heard about a possible snow leopard for sale for $50,000. Richard Fite, a senior agricultural advisor with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, currently stationed in Afghanistan, said he became involved when an official in the Afghanistan National Environmental Protection Agency (ANEPA) did the right thing and contacted police.

When Fite saw the snow leopard it was in terrible condition

It “had been snared, had all four legs bound together, and was transported by truck for at least 2-3 days over a terrible road in cold damp weather, poked and prodded by many, held in captivity for a week.”

“For a normally solitary, wild animal, the mental stress would have been just unimaginable.  When I first saw the animal, on its fourth or fifth day of captivity, it was already in trouble — quite passive and subdued.  During the next two days, it became progressively more so.”

Fite worked with international and local officials to provide aid in the form of heavy mittens, an improvised rabies pole, an electric heater and medical supplies for the animal’s treatment. The Aria Guest House in Feyzabad, provided a secluded location for the cat.  It also provided food, staff, and a small propane heater. USAID organised a helicopter to transport the leopard back to the Wakhan corridor once it was healthy.

Sadly, despite everyone’s great efforts, the snow leopard died.

“It seemed to respond to subcutaneous fluids given the afternoon of the second day, but died early the following morning.” Full story here.

In a letter to the Snow Leopard Network members Fite said,  ” the final outcome of course is not what we all wished but on the positive side, I note that this incident generated a great amount of publicity for snow leopards in Afghanistan and that interest in this animal reached all the way to the highest levels of the Afghan government and the U.S. Embassy.  Perhaps that, at least, is a good sign for the future.”

Thankyou to ALL those people who desperately tried to save this animal.

The discussion continues amongst snow leopard experts on the animal in the night video sent to me recently by a young US Army sergeant, Carl Duke. The video was taken in the war zone on the Pakistan / Afghanistan border with the amazing  Long-Range Advance Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3) from a distance of 8 kilometers.

Yellow throated marten. Photo Wikipedia.

Some snow leopard experts have said the animal is a marten (yellow throated marten) while others are still certain it is footage of the elusive cat. Those that believe it IS a snow leopard cite evidence like the difference in the way cats and martens move, the uniqueness of the snow leopard tail,  the way the animal is swaying the tail, the way it  is doing its scent marking and quite a few other characteristics.

One thing every one agrees on is the fantastic technology that was able to capture the animal and the fact that Carl has brought it to our attention. But as to snow leopard or not snow leopard – the jury appears to be still out. Stay tuned.

Recently I received video of what appeared to be a snow leopard in Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan taken by a young sergeant in the US Army. Several experts kindly commented their opinions through the Snow Leopard Network and my Blog, some thought it was a snow leopard and others raised the question as to whether it was another animal.

Today Tom McCarthy,  Ph.D. and Director of Snow Leopard Programs, PANTHERA, and George Schaller (world’s leading expert on snow leopards!) have established that it’s a yellow-throated marten and not a snow leopard.

Y a s h  V e e r  B h a t n a g a r,  P h. D. and Director, Snow Leopard Trust-India also suggested it wasn’t a snow leopard and he was right too.

Those of us with less experience but a lot of passion to conserve this beautiful animal were (and are) obviously hoping for evidence that snow leopards are surviving in this war zone.

We didn’t get the evidence this time but I couldn’t agree more with Ashiq Ahmad Khan (Chairman Steering Committee, SLN) and Safdar Ali Shah (NWFP Wildlife Department) that it’s important to work towards a “a trans border nation park to ensure protection of the snow leopard and other allied species before it is too late.”

Thanks also to Carl for looking out for snow leopards and wanting to be active in their conservation. We hope one day people in the field like him may see many snow leopards in this region if our conservation efforts can be successful.