Telengit community of Altai mountains in southern Russia are fighting a gas pipelines which threatens them and endangered animals like snow leopards. Photo Cultural Survival.

According to Jennifer Castner, Director of the Altai Project, a gas pipeline project between the Russian and Chinese governments is proposing to export natural gas from here to northwestern China.”The pipeline threatens a UNESCO World Heritage Site, national parks, and sacred lands. The Telengit people and Russian environmental organizations are calling on the international community for help to stop construction of this gas pipeline on the sacred Ukok Plateau.”

Altaians and the Telengit feel a strong connection to their land, shown here.
This video tells the story of Slava Cheltuev, a Telengit community leader and shaman from the Altai’s high altitude Kosh Agach district.

Now the local Telengit people are so concerned about the negative impact of the pipeline they are keen to get a meeting with Russia’s President Medvedev.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Golden Mountains of Altai, which has been identified as cultural and environmental importance not only to the local Altains but also for the whole world community. The mountains being a vital habitat for endangered animal species like the snow leopard and argali sheep also influenced the decision by UNESCO.

The Altai Project is working with partners to help the Telengit and Russian environmental groups reroute the pipeline. The Altai seems far away, I know it seemed that way to me, but once I had a chance to see it and learn about it, I realised how important and special a place it is. You can read more and support this important issue through the Altai Project and their partners.

Greg Carney and Sean Burnett with their GPS-based poacher spotting device. Photo by Adrian Lam.

Sean Burnett and Greg Carney are Canadian economists with a hobby that may save snow leopards in the Altai region of Russia. They’ve invented a poacher-spotting device that employs heat detectors, underground sensors and satellite GPS monitoring to catch illegal hunters. Their Remote Anti-Poaching Intelligence Device uses heat sensor technology attached to a GPS which is triggered by heat of campfires and then sends alert  emails with coordinates to park rangers.

The protected park in the Altai Republic of Russia, has had a sad history of poachers shooting wild sheep and tracking snow leopards. To date the park authorities have had a difficult time catching them.

“If we find that this technology is successful there is no reason it can’t be used in anti-poaching activities all around the world,” said Altai Project director Jennifer Castner. “You have to know your landscape and your targets,” she said.

“A lot of people have a lot of ideas of what can be done [to catch poachers], it’s just a matter of finding amazing people like Greg and Sean who are willing to dedicate so much of their time,” Castner said.

Read more.

Stunning Altai Mountains, snow leopard habitat in southern Russia. Photo by Sibylle

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since I was in Altai mountains, Siberia, southern Russia, searching for snow leopards with a team from Biosphere Expeditions. We were out in this beautiful mountain range for two weeks and saw beautiful birds and groups of ibex. But no snow leopard sign. The team that is there now has been luckier! This report from Andy Stonach.
“On the first day of our Altai Snow Leopard trek we went to the top of Kara Gyem pass. It started off cold and wet, but then turned snowy. Well, after only about an hour of surveying, we found a very clear trail of guess what – snow leopard! The trail was around 10 days old and there were perhaps 40 individual tracks in the mud, mostly very clear Not content with this, our intrepid team then found a second snow leopard trail in the snow, and fresher, much fresher, probably made the night before we arrived; fantastic! Lunch amongst an amazing display of flowers and then watching two groups of Siberian ibex rounded off the day. Doesn’t get any better than that!”

Great news guys! So glad to hear that snow leopards are still out in these beautiful mountains.

Allegations against seven who died and three survivors of illegal wildlife poaching in crashed helicopter.

A court in southern Siberia’s Altai Republic acquitted three high ranking Russian officials of hunting endangered animals when their helicopter crashed killing seven others in January 2009.

The case in the remote town of Koch Agash, has been over two years coming to court but Judge Nikolai Lubenitsky said yesterday the prosecution (which asked for one year jail terms) had failed to prove the defendants’ guilt.

The crash in Altai’s Chernaya mountain killed seven people, including the Russian president’s envoy to the State Duma, Alexander Kosopkin, and a federal environmental official, Viktor Kaymin, the chairman of the department of wildlife protection and management for the Altai Republic.

Trial of three high profile Russian survivors from Altai Russia helicopter crash. Allegations of illegal wildlife killing. Photo Photo Ria Novosti A. Kryeshev.

At the time WWF Russia called for an investigation when photos of the crash site revealed bodies of shot argali (rare and endangered wild sheep) amidst the helicopter ruins along with several hunting rifles. In Russia it has been illegal to hunt Argali since 1934. As well as being protected in their own right, Argali are also the main prey of the few remaining Russian endangered snow leopards living in this region. The future of both species lies in a precarious balance.

VIP poaching is rife in Russia and sadly often officials in law enforcement on the ground are afraid and powerless against wealthy people in official positions.

Three of the four survivors, including former republican Prime Minister Anatoly Bannykh, were charged with illegally hunting the protected animals.

Alexey Vaisman, Chief co-ordinator WWF Russia. “We were not looking for punishment. We want offical recognition from the courts there’s been a deliberate violation of the law from high ranking officials. There’s no point in them pointing fingers at each other, they are equally guiltly regardless of who was shooting and who was not , that’s what the law states.”

Unfortunately this recognition won’t happen now. The best we can hope for is that the huge media coverage given to these outlaw VIPs may help stop others from assuming they are above the law and can kill endangered wildlife for fun.

Read my Diary on Russia’s last remaining snow leopards after my visit to the Altai area in July 2010.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with Mongol the snow leopard. According to independent conservationists the cat was captured and held in a cage for a week so that Putin could exploit it's socalled 'release' as as a media opportunity.

It’s gratifying to see that the media has picked up on Russian Prime Minister Putin’s snow leopard stunt. Initially most media outlets ran with the story that Putin’s media machine wanted them to. A snow leopard had been saved from poacher’s and the PM in his role as protector of wildlife, was releasing the poor animal in the wild.

Meanwhile snow leopard conservationists in Russia knew the real story. Mongol the snow leopard was abducted from his habitat in a nature reserve, airlifted 100 miles to a neighbouring region, and held in captivity for a week before Mr Putin’s came to ‘release’ him. Injuries he was supposed to have sustained through poachers were in fact caused by the poor animal throwing himself against his cage for a week, bloodying his nose.

Novaya Gazeta Daily reported that the snare was set up by scientists not poachers and ‘Mongol’ got his injuries in the cage trying to escape.

“Seeking freedom, he lunged at the iron bars and broke his nose,” wrote the paper, citing independent conservationists. Let us hope that having been caught out by the both the Russian and international media Mr Putin now stops this sort of outrageous exploitation of an endangered animal for his own political ends.

My earlier post on this story here.

Following up from yesterdays post, a Russian media report says Mongol has been released. According to AFP news service Putin had been to see Mongol in his cage. “What a beautiful little cat,” Putin, dressed in a Russian hat and a quilted jacket marked with the Russian eagle and the initials V.V. Putin, whispered as he stared at the snow leopard.

Reports in the snow leopard research community say Mongol spent hours battering himself against the cage to the point where his nose was bloodied. Here are photos of Mongol in the cage he was kept in for the last week. An absoloute disgrace!

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin orchestrating media stunt involving endangered snow leopard. The wild snow leopard has been captured specifically so that Putin can be seen to 'release it'. Photo Wikipedia.

Snow leopards are endangered in Russia but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is pulling a media stunt for his own gratification that has endangered the life of one these rare cats and sends all the wrong messages to his fellow countrymen and women. As part of the Sochi Olympics hype he is going to ‘set free’ Mongol, a snow leopard captured last week.

Mongol has been living in the Sayano-Shushensky nature reserve area but a week ago was captured and collared ostensibly for research purposes. Instead of immediately releasing the animal, which is what happens in true research, Mongol has been moved and kept caged to the time that he can be ‘released’ by Putin. This controvenes many international wildlife laws that Russia is a signatory to.

The snow leopard is the main symbol for the Sochi Olympics and Putin is quoted as saying, “This image tells us that Russia is very diverse. Russia is beautiful for its diversity, and the fact that one of the symbols of the Olympics has become an animal that we are reviving, and which was destroyed by humans in 50s of the last century, suggests that Russia is becoming different,” the Prime Minister said.

“Russia cares for nature, cares about its resources, restoring it for future generations, this is a sign of modern Russia, he said.”

Aleksandr Bondarev, director of WWF’s Altai-Sayan program said “It is illegal and dangerous for the animal – the animal is under constant stress, and the possible results of that stress on his life are unknown. Moreover, we do not understand why the snow leopard has been held for 5 days. Usually the process of fitting a collar takes no more than an hour,” he said.

Capturing snow leopards for research is strictly regulated. WWF specialist Natalya Dronova said “the time period and means of capture of animals are determined in accordance with the goals of capture and should not cause harm to natural populations of these species and their habitats.” “Collaring assumes that the snow leopard is caught, fitted with the collar, and released. Anything else, including transporting a Red Book (endangered) species animal, should be specifically mentioned in the permit. Releasing a  collared individual in a location other than where it was captured is forbidden on principle – it contradicts logic. After all, the animal is being collared in order to learn how it behaves in its natural surroundings,” she said.

It is very disappointing to see a so-called world leader using an endangered animal in such a circus. Sadly it tells us a lot about the future of this beautiful species in Russia.

News of the snow leopard capture released by the Snow Leopard Network. Original Russian reports translated by Jennifer Castner, Altai Project.

Jennifer Castner, Director Altai project. Photo Altai Project.

As a result of my trip to the Altai Mountains in southern Russia this year, I got to know Jennifer Castner, Director of the Altai Project (TAP). Jenn, who lives in California, is fluent in Russian and passionate about this part of Russia. She’s lived and studied in Moscow and worked in Kiev and has traveled extensively in Siberia and the Russian Far East.  Jenn kindly accepted my invitation to be “Saving Snow Leopards Blog” first Guest Blogger and we warmly welcome her.

Snow Leopard in Altai Sayan. Photo D Tseveenravdan WWF Mongolia.

“Sibylle invited me to talk about The Altai Project’s work and I particularly wanted to share information about a really exciting new part of our work, The Land of the Snow Leopard Project which will protect the northernmost population of snow leopards in the Altai Mountains in southern Russia.

First I’d like to say a bit about the Altai Project.  Our mission is to protect the natural and cultural heritage of Altai – this is a uniquely diverse, mountainous region of southern Siberia. Our goals are nature conservation, promoting renewable energy and environmentally sustainable design, and supporting indigenous organizations in their efforts to restore and protect their traditional lands and life ways.

Stunning Altai Mountains, snow leopard habitat in southern Russia. Photo by Sibylle

Some of the things we work on are assisting our Altai partners to strengthen conservation and anti-poaching measures, manage tourism effectively, and create strategies for long-term protection of sensitive areas. At a time when potentially destructive development projects are being proposed such as dams, roads, and pipelines, we support local campaigns against them. Also we do training on renewable energy technologies, energy efficient design, and the use of natural building materials.

But getting back to snow leopards. In the last year, TAP has joined a number of other groups (Fund for Sustainable Development of Altai, Arkhar NGO, Altai Assistance Project, Snow Leopard Conservancy, UNDP/GEF, and WWF-Russia) to protect snow leopards in the region. Altai and Tuva Republics are home to the northernmost population of snow leopard in the world, and while this snow leopard habitat is quite fragmented and at-risk, there’s still a sizable population of the animals in the region.

The Land of the Snow Leopard collaboration is a multi-faceted project. Its objectives are to conduct scientifically valid camera-trap monitoring of snow leopards in the Argut Valley in Altai and also to engage the local population in new ecotours, wildlife monitoring, souvenir production, and other tourism services. We hope this combination of science and sustainable community development will rekindle the connection of indigenous Altaians to their landscape, and in particular, to teach Altaians to value the importance of protecting snow leopards.

You can learn more about this exciting new snow leopard project and TAP’s work, by joining our Facebook cause and visiting our website.”

Altai mountains, snow leopard habitat in Russia. Photo by Sibylle

Following up from my trip to the Altai Mountains this July I found out Rodney Jackson from the Snow Leopard Conservancy visited the area in August and trained some local residents from Inegen and staff from the Altaisky Nature Reserve to do snow leopard counts in the Argut River valley. This beautiful part of Russia still has a snow leopard population but little is known about the size of that population or their movement. Rodney trained the team to use the Reconyx RapidFire and HyperFire cameras and they installed seven cameras along the main snow leopard transit routes. This month there’ll be more camera traps purchased with financial assistance of  Panthera and the Altai Assistance Project.

Reconyx camera trap and reader. Photo by Sibylle

WWF Russia is also involving local communities of the Koch Agach region, where our July Altai snow leopard project team went regularly for supplies. I like the idea of local involvement. While research is important it must be done at the same time as education and antipoaching efforts. The approach by WWF is to get local people involved in conservation and rare species monitoring, that is, animals like snow leopards and their prey species the wild argali sheep. Trained teams will remove illegal snares and traps, as well as educate their fellow locals on issues relating to nature conservation.

After much searching one of our Altai snow leopard research team finally found an Altai felt souvenir with snow leopard motif. Photo by Sibylle

While in Altai I searched high and low for souvenir items with snow leopard motifs. In fact it was a task I asked the entire team to help me with, but after 2 weeks of 10 people looking we found only one. Birgit, our eagle eyed Austrian team member found a felt souvenir with a jolly woman selling at the edge of the road one day.

So I’m happy to hear about a recent workshop on felt making organized by Fund of Sustainable Development of Altai (FSDA) with the support of UNDP/GEF Project in Kosh – Agach. Felt making has been less popular in recent times but it could provide a good income for women especially if ecotourism is fostered and people want souvenirs. The felt teachers are not only teaching the craft but also encouraging the women to use snow leopard and argali motifs, thereby educating tourists about local wildlife. I’m hoping next time I go to Altai these lovely items will be everywhere.

Scanning for snow leopard prey like wild goats and sheep in the Altai mountains, southern most part of Russia. Photo by Nancy Miller.

Seeing a snow leopard in the wild must be the ultimate experience for big cat lovers. Sadly it wasn’t to be for me, the animal remained as mystical and elusive as ever. But there were so many other exciting animals and experiences during this Biosphere Expeditions research trip in the remote Altai Mountains of southern Siberia that made it worthwhile.

I’m tired, have aching muscles and am covered in millions of mosquito bites, but – I would not have missed it for anything! Great work done by the team and Volodya (Vladimir Tytar) the Russian snow leopard researcher. You can read all about it in my Diary Seaching for Russia’s last snow leopards.