A win for snow leopard conservation in Nepal with new collaring technology
Kathmandu, Nepal – A snow leopard in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area of the Sacred Himalayan Landscape in Nepal has been successfully fitted with a satellite-GPS collar for the first time, a win for snow leopard conservation says WWF.
The snow leopard, an adult male approximately five years old, weighing 40kg and with a body length of 193cm, was captured, fitted with a GPS Plus Globalstar collar and released back into the wild at 10:45am on 25th November 2013.
The collaring expedition, which began on 7th November and lasted 45 days, was led by the Government of Nepal’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation with the support of WWF, Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes and Communities Project of UASID, National Trust for Nature Conservation, and Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council/Snow Leopard Conservation Committee-Ghunsa. WWF Nepal provided both financial and technical support to the collaring expedition.
“The snow leopard collaring is indeed a new win for Nepal,” stated Mr. Megh Bahadur Pandey, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. “It reiterates the commitment of the government to strengthen measures to better understand and protect the snow leopard whose survival is under threat from anthropogenic actions and the pervasive impacts of global climate change.”
This is the first time that satellite-GPS technology is being used in snow leopard collaring in Nepal. Prior collaring work on the species used VHF technology in the early 80s and 90s. The collaring expedition also marks the first time that local communities through citizen scientists and Snow Leopard Conservation Committees have been involved, playing a key role in identifying snow leopard hotspots for tracking purposes through ongoing camera trap monitoring operations, participating in the collaring operations, and managing local logistics.
“Snow leopards are highly elusive creatures and given the terrains they reside in, monitoring work on the species is a highly challenging task,” stated Dr. Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, Coordinator for Development, Research and Monitoring at WWF Nepal. “While past studies on the snow leopard have been limited to areas that are accessible to people, this technology will help provide important information on the ecology and behavior of the wide ranging snow leopard.”
Through data received from the satellite collar, it will be possible to determine the snow leopard’s movement patterns, habitat use and preferences, home ranges to identify critical core habitats and corridors, including trans-boundary habitat linkages and climate resilient habitats.
“Nepal’s Himalayas are a rich mosaic of pristine habitat, freshwater and wildlife species including the iconic snow leopard,” stated Mr. Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal. “The success of the collaring expedition opens up new frontiers in snow leopard conservation as well as new avenues to profile Nepal as a living laboratory to help build on international collaboration in conservation science.”
The existing snow leopard conservation projects in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area include snow leopard monitoring using camera traps and prey-base monitoring with the partnership of local citizen scientists and Snow Leopard Conservation Committees, a population genetic study using fecal DNA, and a livestock insurance scheme built at reducing human-snow leopard conflict.
“The snow leopard conservation program has given the local communities the opportunity to build their own capacities in snow leopard monitoring,” stated Mr. Himali Chungda Sherpa, Chairperson of the Snow Leopard Conservation Committee-Ghunsa. “This is further aiding the overall understanding amongst the local communities on the importance of protecting the species thereby building on our commitment towards snow leopard conservation.”
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Notes to the Editor
About Kangchenjunga Conservation Area
The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), which measures 2,035 sq.km, is located in north-eastern Nepal, bordering China to the north and India to the east. KCA is home to pristine forests, alpine meadows and high altitude wetlands that harbor the endangered snow leopard and red panda. Mount Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the third highest peak in the world is located in the area. KCA was declared a “Gift to the Earth” in support of WWF’s Living Planet Campaign. The Protected Area was formally handed over to the local community by the Government of Nepal on 22 September 2006 in a historic move that transferred management and use rights to the community for sustainable natural resource management and equitable benefit sharing. The population estimate of snow leopards in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area is 18 (13-21) individuals as per a 2009 study.
About WWF
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. WWF has been active in Nepal since the 1960s and remains committed to the vital work being done in the region to save its unique and irreplaceable biodiversity. Learn more at www.wwfnepal.org
For more information, contact:
Dr. Narendra Man Babu Pradhan
Coordinator-Development, Research and Monitoring, WWF Nepal
Email: [email protected]; Mobile: +977 9801047311
Dr. Rinjan Shrestha
Conservation Scientist, Eastern Himalayas Program, WWF-US
Email : [email protected]; Mobile: + 1 416 819 3219
For interviews, contact:
Akash Shrestha
Sr. Manager-Communications and Marketing, WWF Nepal
Email: [email protected]; Mobile: +977 9801057566