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What do you notice about this website's design?

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Plastic Oceans International is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, founded and existing under the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #81-3778043). We are dedicated to ending plastic pollution and fostering sustainable communities worldwide.

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Plastic Oceans International is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, founded and existing under the laws of California (Federal Tax ID #81-3778043). We are dedicated to ending plastic pollution and fostering sustainable communities worldwide.

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Rainforest Trust - Species | Communities | Planet

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100% of your donation goes towards Conservation Action.

4X The Impact

Thanks to generous support from our donors, we have successfully reached our fundraising goal for this project.

The Irrawaddy Dolphin is an Endangered cetacean that is typically found in coastal shallows throughout Southeast Asia. In Indonesia's Mahakam River, however, exists a Critically Endangered population of Mahakam River Dolphin that consists of around 80 individuals. This population is revered by the local community, but is highly threatened by entanglement in gill nets and the destruction of riparian habitat. Researchers are in the process of analyzing the DNA of this isolated population and believe that it may be genetically distinct from other populations.

Rainforest Trust and local partner Yayasan Konservasi Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia seek $383,796 to establish a 119,277-acre Aquatic Nature Reserve and a 179,808-acre Peat Swamp Conservation Area along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. This will protect a total of 299,085 acres. These protected areas will secure important habitat for many threatened aquatic and terrestrial species, including the Critically Endangered Mahakam subpopulation of the Irrawaddy Dolphin, locally known as the "Pesut." Other species that will benefit from the protected area establishment include the Critically Endangered Siamese Crocodile and Bornean Orangutan, the Endangered Malaysian Giant Turtle and numerous threatened bird species.

Fast Facts

Location
Borneo, Indonesia

Size
299,085 acres

Key Species (Based on IUCN Red List)
Bornean Orangutan (CR), Mahakam River Dolphin (CR), Siamese Crocodile (CR), Malaysian Giant Turtle (EN), Proboscis Monkey (EN), Storm's Stork (EN)

Habitat
Coastal Shallows and Peat Swamp Forest

Threats
Illegal logging, oil exploitation, agricultural encroachment

Action
Establish an Aquatic Nature Reserve and Peat Swamp Conservation Area

Local Partner
Yayasan Konservasi Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia

Financial Need
$383,796

Price per Acre
$1.28

Biodiversity

The proposed protected area supports a high diversity of at least 298 birds species, 147 indigenous fish species, two crustacean species, 27 reptile species and five primate species, including the endemic Proboscis Monkey and Bornean Orangutan.

The area hosts the Mahakam population of Irrawaddy Dolphin that may be listed as a separate species based on DNA analysis. Five distinct populations of Irrawaddy Dolphin are found in riverine and estuarine habitat throughout Southeast Asia and are isolated from marine populations. For the Mahakam River population, the proposed reserve consistently supports around 80 individuals and contains 80-100 percent of the population at various times, making it irreplaceable habitat for the species.

Challenges

This region of Borneo has seen dramatic deforestation rates due to the creation of extensive oil palm plantations.

This proposed protected area is significantly threatened by the conversion of swamp forest and riparian habitat that would negatively affect aquatic and terrestrial species. This rainforest decimation heavily impacts fisheries that local communities depend upon because spawning habitat is destroyed and pollution and sedimentation increased. If the area is not secured soon, new permits for oil palm concessions may encroach further upon the remaining habitat. In addition, unsustainable fishing practices also present a serious threat to the Irrawaddy Dolphin. Dolphins often become entangled in gill nets, and this resulted in the deaths of 32 Mahakam River Dolphins between 1995 and 2005. Fishing practices such as trawling and the use of electricity and poison are also detrimental to sensitive aquatic species.

Communities

Thirty-one villages consisting of around 40,000 people inhabit the proposed protected area. All have been involved in the process of allocating land for the new reserves and agreeing upon policies and regulations.

Most of the indigenous communities that live in villages along the river are of Malayan Kutai descent and have lived there since the fourth century. There are also some settlers from South Kalimantan as well as Javanese, Bugis and Dayak migrants. All 21 villages within the proposed Aquatic Nature Reserve have already signed communal agreements for protected area establishment. The Irrawaddy Dolphin is revered due to local legend, and communities understand that the rivers and swamps provide people with the fish that they depend upon for sustenance. Once the protected area has been established, communities will be involved in programs to promote sustainable livelihoods that will reduce pressure on natural resources.

Solutions

Rainforest Trust and local partner Yayasan Konservasi Rare Aquatic Species of Indonesia seek $383,796 to establish a 119,277-acre Aquatic Nature Reserve and a 179,808-acre Peat Swamp Conservation Area along the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, that will total 299,085 acres.

Rainforest Trust's partner has been working with local villages since 2011, conducting community meetings, identifying core areas, mapping and completing local government consultations. The Aquatic Nature Reserve and Peat Swamp Conservation Area will be established in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Forestry and Environment. These two contiguous protected areas will together form the Essential Ecosystem Middle Mahakam Area. To protect both terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, these areas will be zoned with the participation of the local community. The logging of riparian areas and use of unsustainable fishing practices will be halted, preserving habitat quality, securing fish spawning grounds and regulating the use of methods such as gill netting. Patrol teams consisting of community members will report to fishery and forestry authorities, and paired with an integrated management plan, will mitigate the threats of deforestation, pollution and unsustainable fishing.

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Saving the Mahakam River Dolphin in Borneo - Rainforest Trust - Species | Communities | Planet

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100% of your donation goes towards Conservation Action. 4X The Impact The Irrawaddy Dolphin is an Endangered cetacean that is typically found in coastal shallows throughout Southeast Asia. In Indonesia's Mahakam River, however, exists a Critically Endangered population of Mahakam River Dolphin that consists of around 80 individuals.

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https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/tiger

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Florida panthers, mountain lions, jaguars that become used to human presence can lose their natural wariness of us. If we offer or allow access to food even once, we end up with wildlife that associates us with food.

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Florida panthers, mountain lions, jaguars that become used to human presence can lose their natural wariness of us. If we offer or allow access to food even once, we end up with wildlife that associates us with food.

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save them whales

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Our mission is to preserve and protect the ocean and its inhabitants. Save the Whales was founded in 1977 when Maris Sidenstecker was 14 years old, and focuses on educating the public, especially children, about marine mammals and the fragile ocean environment.

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The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as -58°F in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle-all-important adaptations to the chilly clime. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter.

Arctic foxes have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that act as very effective winter camouflage. The natural hues allow the animal to blend into the tundra's ubiquitous snow and ice. When the seasons change, the fox's coat turns as well, adopting a brown or gray appearance that provides cover among the summer tundra's rocks and plants.

These colorings help foxes to effectively hunt rodents, birds, and even fish. But in winter prey can be scarce on the ground. At such times, arctic foxes will follow the region's premier predator-a polar bear-to eat the leftover scraps from its kills. Foxes will also eat vegetables when they are available.

Like a cat's, this fox's thick tail aids its balance. But for an arctic fox the tail (or "brush") is especially useful as warm cover in cold weather.

Female arctic foxes give birth each spring to a large litter of up to 14 pups.

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The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as -58°F in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle-all-important adaptations to the chilly clime.

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Millions of bison once thundered across North America. These massive animals, characterized by their long, shaggy brown coats, have poor eyesight but acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell.

Historically, the American bison played an essential role in shaping the ecology of the Great Plains. They graze heavily on native grasses and disturb the soil with their hooves, allowing many plant and animal species to flourish. Prairie dogs prefer areas grazed by bison where the grass is short so they can keep a lookout for hungry predators, and wolves once relied on bison herds as a major food source. Today, wild bison are making a small comeback in a few scattered places, but they need more room to roam.

Diet

Bison mainly eat grasses and sedges.

Population
Did You Know?
The trails carved by animals like bison and deer in their seasonal migrations formed some of the earliest traceable paths into the American wilderness, and were followed by Native Americans, explorers and pioneers.

An estimated 20 to 30 million bison once dominated the North American landscape from the Appalachians to the Rockies, from the Gulf Coast to Alaska. Habitat loss and unregulated shooting reduced the population to just 1,091 by 1889. Today, approximately 500,000 bison live across North America. However, most of these are not pure wild bison, but have been cross-bred with cattle in the past, and are semi-domesticated after being raised as livestock for many generations on ranches. Fewer than 30,000 wild bison are in conservation herds and fewer than 5,000 are unfenced and disease-free.

Range & Habitat

Though bison once roamed across much of North America, today they are "ecologically extinct" as a wild species throughout most of their historic range, except for a few national parks and other small wildlife areas. Yellowstone National Park has the largest population of wild plains bison (about 4,000), and Wood Buffalo National Park has the largest population of wild wood bison (about 10,000). With help from Defenders, two small herds of pure, wild Yellowstone bison were recently reintroduced to Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Indian Reservations.

Behavior
Did You Know?
A bison's thick fur offers great protection against the harsh elements of the American plains. Their winter coat is so thick and well insulated that snow can cover their backs without melting.

Known for roaming great distances, bison move continuously as they eat. The females, or cows, lead family groups. Bulls remain solitary or in small groups for most of the year, but rejoin the group during mating season.

Bison are adapted to the extreme weather conditions of the Great Plains, from summer heat to winter cold and blizzards. In winter, bison can dig through deep snow with their heads to reach the vegetation below.

Bison often rub, roll and wallow. Wallowing creates a saucer-like depression in the earth called a wallow. This was once a common feature of the plains; usually these wallows are dust bowls without any vegetation.

Reproduction

Bulls and cows do not mingle until breeding season. Dominant bulls "tend" to cows, following the cow around until the cow chooses to mate. During this period, the bull blocks the cow's vision so that she may not see other competing bulls, and bellows at males striving for the cow's attention.

Mating Season: June-September, peak activity in July-August
Gestation: 270-285 days. Calf is born April-May.
Litter size: 1 calf

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Millions of bison once thundered across North America. These massive animals, characterized by their long, shaggy brown coats, have poor eyesight but acute hearing and an excellent sense of smell. Historically, the American bison played an essential role in shaping the ecology of the Great Plains.

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With our local partner the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (Yayasan Badak Indonesia or YABI), IRF protects the world's only population of Javan rhinos while also working to expand the species' habitat in Indonesia. THE PROBLEM
Indonesia's remote Ujung Kulon National Park holds the world's only viable population of the Critically Endangered Javan rhino. An estimated 58 - 61 Javan rhinos remain on the planet. Presently, only about 40% of Ujung Kulon National Park is considered suitable habitat for Javan rhinos and the park is now believed to be close to carrying capacity.

Because the last population of Javan rhinos exists in a single location, it is especially susceptible to catastrophic losses from disease or natural disasters. Ujung Kulon and surrounding areas were decimated by the eruption of Krakatau in 1883. Anak Krakatau is now active and if a similar eruption were to occur in the near future, the Javan rhino population would not be safe.
OUR SOLUTION
IRF and our partner, the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (YABI), operate five Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) in Ujung Kulon National Park. Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) are highly-trained, four-person anti-poaching teams that intensively patrol key areas within Indonesia's national parks. They monitor threatened wildlife, deactivate traps and snares, identify and apprehend illegal intruders, including poachers, and investigate crime scenes, thus preventing or reducing the loss of wildlife. The goal of the RPU program is to prevent the extinction of Javan rhinos and other threatened species and to protect critical habitats in Java through proactive prevention of poaching and habitat destruction.

Although the RPUs in Ujung Kulon have been very successful, protection in itself isn't going to be enough to save the species from extinction. Over the long-term, the population needs to be spread out, with a second viable population established elsewhere in Indonesia. Our first step towards accomplishing this goal is to increase the habitat available in eastern Ujung Kulon so the existing population can expand and grow
OUR RESULTS
For the past 19 years, International Rhino Foundation (IRF)-funded Rhino Protection Units have kept the Ujung Kulon population safe from poaching.

The RPUs patrol and survey on foot, motorbike, and by boat to monitor Javan rhinos and other threatened species through direct sightings, footprints, feces, wallows, and evidence of feeding. RPUs immediately remove any traps or snares discovered during patrols and investigate any illegal activity, including illegal hunting and fishing, illegal logging, and construction of camps or houses. If appropriate, the RPUs then collect evidence and help make arrests.

In addition to operating the RPUs, our local implementing partner, YABI, is almost finished building the 5,000 hectare Javan Rhino Study and Conservation Area in the Gunung Honje area, along Ujung Kulon's eastern boundary. This area provides more habitat to allow the population to increase, under intensified management and protection. The continued survival of the Javan rhino depends on their population increasing in numbers as rapidly as possible, and in spreading the population out so that 'all the eggs are not in one basket'. The study and conservation area eventually will serve as a 'staging ground' from which translocations to a second site can occur.

We have hired more than 150 people from surrounding communities construct an 8-km perimeter fence around the study and conservation area to prevent encroachment, and to build three guard posts and a base camp for the new RPU unit that will patrol the area. They have also cleared 78 hectares of the invasive Arenga palm to allow native rhino food plants to recolonize the forests.

As the Gunung Honje habitat has been improved over the past several years, Javan rhinos from the population in the western section of Ujung Kulon have begun moving into the area on their own - nine rhinos are now regularly using the habitat. We are currently seeking funding for more Arenga palm removal, both in the JRSCA area and in the core zone of the park, once permission has been received from the government.

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With our local partner the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia (Yayasan Badak Indonesia or YABI), IRF protects the world's only population of Javan rhinos while also working to expand the species' habitat in Indonesia. THE PROBLEM Indonesia's remote Ujung Kulon National Park holds the world's only viable population of the Critically Endangered Javan rhino.

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they need you!!!

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Galapagos penguin videos, photos and facts - Spheniscus mendiculus | Arkive

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The Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is the most northerly of all penguins, occurring on the Galapagos Islands, on the equator. It is the smallest of the South American penguins, with an...

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Sharing images and articles on social media helps spread awareness
One has to know what a bonobo is in order to care about this most amazing ape. Please spread the word, follow us on Twitter andlike us on Facebook!

Every bonobo is precious. Please help us to save the species. Make your donation today.
Please partner with us in supporting the organizations/individuals doing the complicated work of saving bonobos in war-torn DRC.

How can you help?
There are many ways to support bonobos in your everyday life. Pleasesend us an email so we can connect you with upcoming opportunities.

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Sharing images and articles on social media helps spread awareness One has to know what a bonobo is in order to care about this most amazing ape. Please spread the word, follow us on Twitter andlike us on Facebook ! Every bonobo is precious. Please help us to save the species.

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Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas

Status: Endangered

Description

A green sea turtle is most easily recognized by its top shell. The shell covers most of the animal's body, except for its flippers and head. Despite its name, a green sea turtle's shell is not always green. The smooth, heart-shaped shell can be a blend of different colors, including, brown, olive, gray, or black. The underside is a yellowish-white color. The green sea turtle's head has brown and yellow markings.

Green sea turtles have paddle-like limbs called flippers that allow the turtle to move quickly and easily through the water. These dense, heavy animals can reach three to four feet in length and weigh upward of 300 to 350 pounds (136 to 159 kilograms). Despite their size, they are still not the world's largest sea turtles-that title belongs to the leatherback sea turtle.

Range

Green sea turtles are found around the world in warm subtropical and tropical ocean waters, and nesting occurs in over 80 countries. There are populations with different colorings and markings in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Though not well understood, these turtles are highly migratory and undertake complex movements and migrations.

Once a green sea turtle hatches and heads into the ocean, it rarely returns to land. Instead it feeds on offshore plant blooms around islands and beaches. Green sea turtles stay in shallow waters until the breeding season. Every time the females breed, they make a long migration back to their natal beach, or the beach where they were born. They will travel long distances, even across oceans, to return to their preferred breeding site.

In the United States, green sea turtles are most often seen on the Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the east coast of Florida. Less frequent nesting also occurs on the Atlantic coast in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Diet

Adult green sea turtles are herbivores. The jaw is serrated to help the turtle easily chew its primary food source- seagrasses and algae. Juvenile green sea turtles are omnivores. They eat a wide variety of plant and animal life, including insects, crustaceans, seagrasses, and worms.

Life History

The breeding season occurs in late spring and early summer. The males arrive in offshore waters first and wait for the females to come to the beaches. Adult males can breed every year, but females only breed every three to four years.

A few weeks after mating, a female green sea turtle arrives on the beach and digs a hole in the sand for her eggs. Inside the hole, she lays 75 to 200 eggs and covers the hole with sand. At this point, her role is complete, and she leaves her eggs to fend for themselves. A female green sea turtle can lay several clutches of eggs before she leaves the nesting grounds.

After about two months, the eggs hatch and the hatchlings make their way to the water. The newly hatched green sea turtles are very susceptible to predators, exposure, and losing their way. Birds, mammals, and other predators love feasting on the young turtles.

For green sea turtle hatchlings that reach the water, it takes at least 20 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity. A healthy individual can be expected to live 80 to 100 years.

Conservation

Green sea turtles are an endangered species that have undergone an estimated 90 percent population decrease over the past half century. Climate change and habitat loss are threats to these animals, as well as diseases such as fibropapilloma. Light pollution near beach nesting sites poses a risk to sea turtle hatchlings, which may get confused and crawl toward the light instead of traveling to the ocean. Green sea turtles and their food also face overhunting, including for use in sea turtle soup.

Green sea turtles are protected by national and state laws, as well as international treaties, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service conducts regular monitoring of green sea turtle populations. Restoration efforts are underway in places like the Gulf of Mexico, where nesting beaches are being restored and enhanced.

Many coastal communities in Florida have developed lighting ordinances to help more hatchlings reach the sea. Bycatch (accidental capture by commercial and sport fishermen) of green sea turtles is being reduced thanks to fishing gear modifications (such as the use of TEDs, or turtle exclusion devices), changes to fishing practices, and closures of certain areas to fishing during nesting and hatching seasons. However, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, due to the long-range migratory movements of sea turtles between nesting beaches and foraging areas, long-term international cooperation is essential for the recovery and stability of nesting populations.

Fun Fact

Green sea turtles received their name for the color of their body fat, which is green.

Sources

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

NatureServe Explorer

Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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Green Sea Turtle | National Wildlife Federation

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Chelonia mydas Status: Endangered Description A green sea turtle is most easily recognized by its top shell. The shell covers most of the animal's body, except for its flippers and head. Despite its name, a green sea turtle's shell is not always green.

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What are the threats to the well being of dolphins? What can we humans do?

Dangers to dolphins increase when we remain ignorant about how they live, and how human activities impact them.

The more we know about dolphin biology and the threats facing dolphins in the wild, the better we can protect them.

Dangers to dolphins increase when we remain ignorant about threats from human activities.

Education is important. Children can learn about how dolphins live, and how our actions on land can affect dolphins in the sea. Adults need information about specific actions to save individual dolphins, to save dolphin populations, and about species conservation.

From the start, our studies have tried to gain the knowledge that would allow us to aid conservation efforts , not only for dolphins in Sarasota Bay, but for dolphin populations around the world.

Dolphin Rescues

Human activities sometimes endanger the lives of wild dolphins. Dolphins may get tangled in fishing gear, or with a rope from a crab trap, or even in human clothing.

Dolphins have been tangled in fishing gear, or with rope from a crab trap, or even in human clothing.

If the situation threatens the dolphin's life, permission will be obtained from the National Marine Fisheries Service to conduct a dolphin rescue.

Usually with the help of volunteers and staff from Mote Marine Laboratory, the rescue effort involves briefly capturing the dolphin so it can be disentangled, examined by a veterinarian, and released.

If the dolphin requires more treatment, it will be taken to a rehabilitation facility, usually the Mote Marine Lab Dolphin and Whale Hospital.

If the dolphin recovers, it is released into the wild near where it was first found. The movements of the dolphin are monitored when possible to determine if the rehabilitation was successful.

Public Outreach and Education

Public awareness is crucial if we are to save wild dolphins.

Direct threats to wild dolphins come from humans feeding wild dolphins and from fishing gear that can entangle or otherwise harm dolphins.

Our outreach efforts are designed to inform the public about the threat, and we help gather public support to reduce it.

We also use education to help youth appreciate the uniqueness of dolphins.

Towards that end, we conduct programs for schools and children groups, and we make available a curriculum for high school teachers that was developed with Federal support.

Feeding Dolphins

The billboard in the picture says it all. It's illegal to feed wild dolphins. And it can cause a dolphin's death.

Dive deeper. See more information about dolphin-human interactions

Part of the SDRP mission is to help educate the public. We work with Federal and State agencies, and we partner with Mote Marine Laboratory to help get the word out.

The message is important, because feeding wild dolphins can be harmful to their health.

Dolphins are born to be hunters, not beggars. When people feed them, it can teach the dolphin bad habits. Mother dolphins that beg may fail to teach their young how to forage for food.

Sometimes, begging for food becomes a way of survival for dolphins, and they become dependent on human handouts. Begging dolphins often are not healthy.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjHNXbviACk
Dolphins may lose their fear of people and become less wary while begging. Sometimes, begging dolphins are hurt when they stray near boat propellers. In at least one case, a dolphin taking discarded fish from anglers was attacked and killed by a large shark.

Sometimes, hanging around boats causes a dolphin to be tangled in fishing hooks and line, and this can be fatal.

People are at risk too. It is not uncommon for begging dolphins to get aggressive when they don't receive the hand-out they expect. People have been bitten by begging dolphins. People have also been fined for feeding and harassing the animals.

You can help dolphins by educating others. Many people do not know about the laws that protect dolphins. Feeding dolphins breaks the law.
By sharing this information with your friends and boaters, you are helping protect dolphins.

It is against the law to feed or harass wild dolphins. For the dolphins' safety and yours, please DON'T FEED, SWIM WITH, TOUCH/PET, OR HARASS WILD DOLPHINS in any other way. Closely interacting with dolphins is harmful to them because it reduces their wariness to people and vessels, and increases their risk of injury or death by boat strikes or fishing gear entanglements.

1. Never feed wild dolphins - it's harmful and illegal.

2. Reuse or share leftover bait.

3. Reel in your line if dolphins approach it.

4. Change locations if dolphins show interest in your bait or catch.

5. Release your catch quietly, away from dolphins.

6. Check your gear and tackle: prevent breakage and lost gear.

7. Use circle hooks and hooks that corrode.

8. Stay at least 50 yards away from wild dolphins.

9. Don't discard your fishing line overboard. Recycle it instead.

10. Stash your trash: wild dolphins might eat pieces of it.

11. Do not closely interact with wild dolphins, this includes but is not limited to touching/petting or swimming with wild dolphins, or attempting any of these or other activities that may change the dolphin's behavior.

Fishing Gear

While the problem of dolphin mortality in some commercial fishing gear is well known, dolphins are also known to entangle and die in recreational fishing gear as well.

Dive deeper: download PDF of Dolphin Friendly Fishing/Viewing

Dolphins that approach anglers run the risk of getting tangled in lines, hooked by fish-like lures, or ingesting baited hooks or lures.

Three types of interactions between dolphins and anglers are on the increase:

1. Scavenging: dolphins take fish or bait discarded by anglers in boats or on piers. Wild dolphins are thus not eating wild-caught prey. Instead they develop the bad habit of approaching humans. Human discards can be very unhealthy for dolphins.

2. Depredation: dolphins remove caught-fish from fishing lines. This puts the dolphin too close to the hook(s) that caught the fish. Dolphins have been hooked and injured this way. And the injuries can prove fatal.

3. Tangling: dolphins can become tangled in the line. Tangling can restrict the dolphin's movements and ability or fish or escape predators. Tangling can lead to skin sores and infection, which threatens the dolphin's health. Several Sarasota dolphins had to be rescued after becoming wrapped in fishing line that threatened their lives.

What You Can Do:

1) Never feed wild dolphins - it's harmful and illegal.

2) Reuse or share leftover bait.

3) Reel in your line if dolphins approach it.

4) Change locations if dolphins show interest in your bait or catch.

5) Release your catch quietly away from dolphins.

6) Check your gear and tackle: prevent breakage and losing gear.

7) Use circle and corrodible hooks.

8) Stay at least 50 yards away from wild dolphins.

9) Don't discard your fishing line overboard. Recycle it instead.

10) Stash your trash: wild dolphins might eat pieces of it.
All photos © Sarasota Dolphin Research Program under NMFS permit #522-1785

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What are the threats to the well being of dolphins? What can we humans do? Dangers to dolphins increase when we remain ignorant about how they live, and how human activities impact them. The more we know about dolphin biology and the threats facing dolphins in the wild, the better we can protect them.

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The Amur leopard is Critically Endangered. For several decades there were thought to be only 35-40 left in the wild, living in the Russian Far East. More recent figures suggest that there are in fact around 70 leopards, including a few across the border in the Jilin Province of North East China.

The difference in numbers is partly due to better survey techniques - more extensive use of camera traps for example - but it undoubtedly also reflects recent conservation efforts put in place in an attempt to ensure the survival of this very distinctive subspecies of leopard.

Adapted for life in a harsh winter climate, the Amur leopard's winter coat is long, thick and paler than other leopards, features which keep it warm and camouflaged against a snowy backdrop. Largely solitary, one leopard can occupy territory of as much as 150 square kilometres.

The Amur leopard has struggled to survive due largely to the pressures of human activities in the area. These include habitat loss through development, logging and forest fires, which can be deliberately started in order to clear land. At the same time, the leopard has been the victim of poaching, both directly for its skin and other body parts, but also indirectly through poaching of prey species - including deer and wild boar. At the same time, a more insidious problem for the Amur leopard is perhaps that of inbreeding within the tiny remaining population. This has the potential to reduce the leopards' resistance to disease and lead to the emergence of genetic abnormalities.

Coordinated efforts to save the Amur leopard from extinction really began in 2001. It was then that a group of Russian and international experts came together to develop a conservation strategy to save this spectacular animal. They agreed that while it was essential to protect the remaining wild leopards, another possibility for strengthening their chance of survival would be to release captive-bred leopards into the wild. This kind of reintroduction is complex and has since taken years of planning.

Following the initial discussion, fifteen Russian and international conservation organisations came together in 2002 to form ALTA - the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance in order to highlight the plight of both the Amur leopard and Amur tiger and try to save them. Wildlife Vets International and has played a vital role in the group's conservation efforts for many years.

In 2006, another ALTA member, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), launched its Amur Leopard Project, in cooperation with Russian conservation organisations, Wildlife Conservation Society - Russia (WCS-Russia) and the Institute of Biology and Soil (part of the Russian Academy of Sciences). WVI founder and big cat expert, Dr. John Lewis was invited to be the veterinary consultant for the project.

Dr. Lewis is also the veterinary advisor to the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) for the Amur leopard, which oversees the captive breeding and health management of Amur leopards in European zoos. The EEP will be the source of leopards selected for the reintroduction plan in coming years.

Much has been achieved over the last decade and a half. Awareness of the Amur leopard and its plight has been raised.

Fire-fighting teams and anti-poaching brigades have been established in the Amur leopard's habitat. Education and outreach programmes are encouraging local people to value their forests and the amazing wildlife found in them. Compensation schemes are in place to help farmers who lose livestock to leopards. Better land management and population monitoring methods are now in place. And a leopard was one of the mascots chosen by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for the winter Olympic games in Sochi in 2014.

However, the Amur leopard's future is far from certain and Wildlife Vets International continues to work hard to provide the veterinary support necessary, both for the existing wild leopards to survive and also for the reintroduction plan. The hope is that the first captive leopards selected to take part in the plan will arrive in the Russian Far East in 2017.

Good disease control is vital to the project's success. Our Veterinary Director, Dr. John Lewis, has taken part in essential wildlife health monitoring work in the Russian Far East over many years, in cooperation with WCS-Russia and ZSL. This has allowed us to build up a picture of the disease risks to leopards and how best to mitigate them, as well as providing an opportunity to train local vets and conservationists at the same time.

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Saving the Amur Leopard, the World's Most Endangered Big Cat

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Found mainly in the Russian Far East but also in North East China, the good news is that, although driven to the brink of extinction, the Amur leopard has recently seen a slight rise in numbers as a result of the hard work of conservationists worldwide. However, the situation remains critical.

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A giant panda at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding and Conservation Center in Sichuan Province.

Credit: Binbin Li

Thanks, pandas! Conservation areas set aside to protect China's national treasure also help to save many of China's other one-of-a-kind species, new research reveals.

Pandas get disproportionate attention and conservation funding, but the new study, published online today (Sept. 16) in the journal Conservation Biology, offers some good news: The fuzzy-faced black-and-white bear is not surviving at the expense of other, less-cute species; instead, panda preservation creates a sort of conservation umbrella that benefits lots of species.

But the laserlike focus on pandas has left some gaps in protections for other animals, according to the new study. Amphibians, in particular, get less protection, the research found.

"Loving pandas is the right thing to do," but China should be savvy in adding new panda protections in order to save as many species as possible, said study researcher Binbin Li, a doctoral student at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. [ See Images of China's Amazing Species]

"We should love beyond pandas," Li told Live Science.

Protecting China's species

China has been aggressive in protecting the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca), setting up conservation and breeding programs with international cooperation. China lends pandas to zoos around the world, with the stipulation that surviving cubs can be called back to China. In August, panda twins were born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., illustrating the success of this program. (One twin later died, as is common in panda multiple births.) [ Photos: New Panda Twins Keep D.C. Zookeepers Busy]

The panda-loan program provides about $1 million per pair each year for the conservation of pandas inside China. (There are currently about 45 pandas on loan.) The country has also listed the panda as the top species in need of protection in China, and has established a National Panda Program with more than $12 million in funding from 2001 to 2030 for research, breeding, reserves and monitoring. No other species has such singular protections, though China is also home to endangered species like the crested ibis ( Nipponia nippon), the Chinese alligator ( Alligator sinensis) and the Yangtze river dolphin ( Lipotes vexillifer), the later two of which are listed as critically endangered.

China has also set aside almost 13,000 square miles (33,600 square kilometers) of nature preserves dedicated to saving panda habitat, Li and her academic adviser, Duke University's Stuart Pimm, reported in their new paper. Li and Pimm wanted to know whether these nature preserves were effective at protecting other species, particularly animals found only in China, such as the fuzzy gansu hamster ( Cansumys canus) or golden snub-nosed monkey ( Rhinopithecus roxellana), the later of which is endangered.

Golden snub-nose monkeys live in bands of dozens to hundreds in forests between 4,900 feet and more than 11,000 feet (1,500 meters to 3,400 meters) elevation.

Credit: Binbin Li

The researchers built a map of species' habitats across China, paying attention to elevation ranges and vegetation types that can determine whether species will survive in each region.

The researchers found that panda range overlaps with the habitat for 70 percent of China's forest bird species, 70 percent of its forest mammals and 31 percent of forest amphibians, and 96 percent of panda habitat falls within areas dubbed "endemic centers." These are regions in the top 5 percent for the number of different species living in an area.

But there are gaps. Ninety-nine percent of amphibians with small habitat ranges in China are inadequately protected, the researchers found, as are 85 percent of amphibians with more extensive ranges. Particularly concerning were the species listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature: 14 mammal species, 20 birds and 82 amphibians. The golden snub-nosed monkey, listed as endangered by the IUCN, is one example, Li said. Also in more danger than previously believed are the Lifan sucker frog ( Amolops lifanensis) and the Schmidt's lazy toad ( Oreolalax schmidti), she said.

Geography of protection

Most of the country's threatened mammals live in China's central Sichuan province and northern Yunnan province, while the threatened birds and amphibians were mostly found around the edge of the Sichuan basin, in Hainan and Yunnan provinces, and elsewhere in southeastern China. Few of these species are protected by national reserves, the researchers found, and the protections provided by a few local reserves are spotty.

The Daxiang and Xiaoxiang mountain ranges of Sichuan are particularly rich targets for protection, Li said. The areas are rich in species and unprotected by national reserves. Other hotspots lie in the Nan mountains of southeastern China, in Yunnan province (which borders Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) and in Hainan, an island province east of Vietnam, the researchers wrote.

There are 132 mammal species, 117 birds and 250 amphibians that have more than 80 percent of their range within China's borders, Pimm and Li found. Of those species, 65 mammals, 78 birds and 96 amphibians are threatened. Expanding panda protections - while also looking beyond panda habitat - could turn the tide for these species, they said.

"China's biodiversity is exceptional; it's extraordinary," Pimm told Live Science. And China has only begun to explore the potential for nature-based tourism to its protected areas, he said.

"If we can engage the Chinese authorities," he said, "we can protect an awful lot of species at the same time as protecting the panda."

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Stephanie Pappas, Live Science Contributor

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Panda Protections Save Other Species, Too

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Thanks, pandas! Conservation areas set aside to protect China's national treasure also help to save many of China's other one-of-a-kind species, new research reveals. Pandas get disproportionate attention and conservation funding, but the new study, published online today (Sept.

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https://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/savesnowleopards12656.mp3

Find out more about current snow leopard work. Big Cat Rescue supports the Snow Leopard Trust by selling Erbis Enterprises items in our gift shop. These items fund villagers in snow leopard regions as long as no snow leopard is killed in their area. That makes everyone a snow leopard protector.
Snow Leopard Trust Snow Leopard Conservancy Field Update 2009:
TERICH VALLEY: SNOW LEOPARD SURVIVAL ISSUES,IN THE HIGH HINDU KUSH REGION OF CHITRAL.

INTRODUCTION:

The district of Chitral, in the extreme north of Pakistan, is hemmed in by lofty peaks of the Hindu Kush range and has scores of main and side valleys with the snow line at around 16,400 feet on the south faces and 14,800 feet on the north. The highest section of this big chain of mountains lies within Chitral. The southern parts of Chitral have enough forest resources but a greater part to the north is barren, without many trees. The few found in years past have been cut and burned due to a shortage of other sources of fuel. These valleys host wild life like markhor, ibex, Snow Leopards, wolves, foxes, lynx, bears, snow cocks, partridges, quails, kites, vultures, crows, rooks, magpies, crows, falcons,* hawks, and a host of other species. Under the government Wild Life Rules all kinds of wild life is protected and watched by staff to check for illegal hunting. The law especially protects Snow Leopards and hunting one is culpable of punishment by imprisonment and fines.

Traditionally the Snow Leopard is not hunted as there is no market for its parts nor is its meat edible under the rules of Islam so the cat is both religiously and legally protected. It seems to have a good population in this region, and the number seems constant according to the estimates of 76 cats in Chitral Hindu Kush and the adjoining foothills. The estimate was made in 1983-84 by pugmarks, predation reports, occasional sighting etc. This big cat lives, breeds, feeds and is seen frequently in the Roshgol, Udren and Atahk, valleys of Terich, [High Hindu Kush] Chitral. The Snow Leopard feeds upon ibex and markhor as well as other smaller wildlife as freely as it desires. The cat comes down to the valley floors in winter when heavy snow fall compels it to descend to lower altitudes. While in the lower regions the Snow Leopard poses a threat to domestic animals.

This article is focused on the constraints faced by Snow Leopards in the above named valleys and side valleys of the high Hindukush section and the threats faced by this big cat in this particular region. The traditional knowledge and indigenous approach as well as the info from other distant valleys, where it is also seen but only sporadically, has proven interesting, but the above mentioned valleys have been famous for the presence of this cat due to reports in January 2006 about an old Snow Leopard roaming in the valley at nights. [Cf. google-roshgol]

Though the Wild Life Department Watchers staff carries out regular reconnaissance, vigilance and a rough census each year on the number of ibex and markhor there has been no update of data about Snow Leopards. In spite of the fact that local poachers do considerable damage to ibex and markhor populations they are subject merely to soft penalties. Consequently, with the decrease in the number of these prey species, the Snow Leopard has less and less food and thus it becomes compelled to descend to villages where it hunts domestic animals such as goats, oxen etc. This subjects the cat to the most danger because the owner will avenge his loss by trying to kill the Snow Leopard. Even though it has been declared an endangered species that does not deter a man who suffers loss of livestock from killing the cats in retribution. The government does not compensate for any loss sustained by the owners of the cattle or goats. Moreover the terrain is torturous, with high gorges, such that poaching cannot be easily detected. The wild life watchers do not have modern devices to determine the movement of wild life, especially the big cats. The poachers pose a threat for the lives of the wild life watchers in the far-flung mountain regions which are the primary habitat of the wild life.

More than four decades ago there were different rules pertaining to big game in this part of the country. Snow Leopards in this valley were neither killed, then nor now, for their meat or any other part of their bodies, despite it being fashionable or lucrative in other parts of the world. Only once a group of hunters from my own village, I recall, did kill a Snow Leopard when they found it trying to overcome a big ibex. The Snow Leopard was allowed to weaken the ibex first and when they were sure the ibex was no longer able to fight back they opened fire on the big cat and killed it and the ibex as well. The Snow Leopard was skinned and brought to the village. The cat was stuffed and placed on display as a show of victory. It was my first close view of a Snow Leopard. It was an unusual size. Some years later another big cat entered a goat pen in a nearby village in winter and was killed by the owner of the house, for the loss it had wrought to the flock of the man concerned. Both cases occurred in the Terich valley of Chitral in the early 60s.

My first close encounter with a live Snow Leopard occurred when I was in my early 20s, when I was out for a quail hunt with a shotgun. It was early in the morning but the sun was already up and I was waiting, just sitting over a rock, looking down the side of the slope. Feeling too cold, I changed my position and just then saw a Snow Leopard ambling at about 50 feet from me on the avalanche glacier with its long tail stretched out equally as long as its body. It was heading towards the upper slopes of the valley and its spots were distinct and very noticeable in the early sun light. This was my first close sight of a Snow Leopard and I watched it move along very gently and gracefully. I did not move from my position but watched the cat's gait as it walked over the glacier. It was a good stretch of flat ground so I enjoyed the sight for about ¾ of a mile when the cat finally disappeared behind a ridge.

About 15 years ago a Snow Leopard attacked another goat pen in a nearby village and was reported to Wild Life staff that contacted the Snow Leopard Trust volunteer at Islamabad. The great cat was then tranquilized, transported and then released in Chitral National Park.

Goat herders and pastoral communities spend the summer months in the distant valleys of this region and keep rifles to protect their flocks. They are reported to shoot wolves and big cats whenever their flocks are attacked but the news is kept secret for fear of the Police. They keep their weapons concealed in secret slots in the grazing grounds and slopes. In the old days whenever a big cat was seen entering a summer pasture, or after an attack on the flock, the herders did not have rifles. They used traditional methods of scaring off the cat by beacon lights. That is by blazing a big fire day and night and this fire and smoke was typically enough to scare away the Snow Leopards. Now the fire wood stock has been almost entirely depleted from the valleys and such a fire beacon system is no longer possible. Rifles are a handy alternative, secretly kept, and used to keep the flocks safe.

Three years ago I received a report in May that a Snow Leopard was seen dead in an avalanche glacier. Some boys were up on the hills to collect firewood when one of them saw a Snow Leopard in a sitting position, in the middle of the glacier. The group signaled to each other and ran down as fast as they could, for they feared an attack. They told the story to their friends in the village and the following day another party went up to check but found the Snow Leopard sitting as it was on the previous day. Thinking something amiss they moved closer, checked with binoculars, and found its lower body sunk deep in the ice. Upon later discovery, they found the Snow Leopard dead. A winter avalanche had carried the cat away. By the beginning of the summer the snow had melted and the upper part of the body was visible but the rear end was still encased in the avalanche debris.

Some valleys of the High Hindu Kush mountain system i.e. Roshgol, Udren, Atahk, etc. have the largest expanse of glaciers of the region. They drain into the main Terich valley. These valleys have been favored Snow Leopard habitat since time immemorialial for their rugged and vast wilderness, richness in flora, abundance of ibex as well as the local peoples' compliance with game Laws. But times have changed and now the big cat is in real trouble due to:

1. Great increases in human population in the Terich valley and unemployment.

2. Over- use and cutting of trees in the wild life habitats, for use as fire wood due to extreme cold and windy winters. The growth of human population is in close proximity to the largest glaciers of the region with no other source of energy available.

3. Poor enforcement of wild life control systems.

4. Easy access by people to weapons for hunting.

5. Absence of recreational facilities for young men who turn to sport hunting and cause damage to all wild life.

It is to be noted that this region of North Pakistan gets rain and snow only in the winter. The clouds come from the West; Caspian and Mediterranean Seas. This snowfall is heavier some years than others, so the intensity of winters varies, but there is no such authentic data about rainfall. In summer this region remains very dry from May to November and this has an adverse effect on the life and products of the region where double crops are grown up to 7000 feet and above that only one crop can be grown each year. The human population explosion, small size plots for farming, one crop a year, long and severe cold winters, low literacy rate, non-availability of medical or health facilities etc. have made life too hard for the local people and therefore poaching is increasing day by day to aid their survival.

The arrival of Snow Leopards in the vicinity of the villages in the Terich valley, at the base of Roshgol valley, is an age-old phenomenon where the Snow Leopard announces its presence in December to February. Sighting vary, on and off, as the higher parts of the hills are covered in deep snow and Snow Leopards know the routes to navigate the slopes in winters to avoid avalanche sites. The Snow Leopard reports its arrival in the very cold season by its deep-throated calls at night from certain ridges on its route, staying at the cats' favorite spots for some days. They often travel in twos and frighten children by their calls at nights. Normally they don't attack domestic animals but, driven by hunger for longer periods, they attack goats outside the villages. They get most of their sustenance from the ibex flocks after much careful stalking. They are not a danger to humans, as they never attack humans even if they come across them on the mountain tracks. There has never been a record of an attack on humans in the history of the region.

* In the old days of Chitral hawks and falcons were trapped and trained for hunting but in modern days a special kind of this species known as Churkh is caught under license and exported to UAE.

Research & written by:

Professor Rahmat Karim Baig
Government College Chitral, Pakistan.
E. Mail: karimbaigcl@yahoo.com
baigshushgal@gmail.com
Website: www.hindukushadventureguides.com

The Snow Leopard Trust

In 1997 our current President, Jamie Veronica, then age 16, came to me with what was possibly the ugliest, scratchy brown, round, wooly thing I had ever seen. I wasn't sure what it was, but she was brightly insisting that if we could figure out a way to sell them we could save the snow leopard in the wild. As she shared the newsletter from the Snow Leopard Trust announcing its new program to sell handicrafts made in Mongolia to encourage the local people to protect the snow leopards it seemed like a good idea, brilliant in fact, but who was going to buy this stuff?

Our modest number of visitors who have come into our living room/ gift shop after walking for two hours in 95degree heat, were not going to be clamoring to buy hats, scarves and mittens made from camel wool. Maybe those round things could serve some purpose; oven mitt? door mat? wooly Frisbee? Sales were slow, but Jamie persisted and we always had some sort of Irbis Enterprise gear, now known as Snow Leopard Enterprise, since no one spoke Mongolian and knew that Irbis is their word for Snow Leopard.

When Cynthia and Sharon took over the gift shop in 2005 they brought new passion to the task of selling a broader array that now includes Christmas tree ornaments and pet toys and sales began reaching a more respectable level. One whole corner of the gift shop explains how the sale of these items helps save the snow leopard in the wild.

A few months ago, Dr. Tom McCarthy, the Conservation Director for the Snow Leopard Trust, came to Big Cat Rescue and wowed us with his stories of tracking the elusive cat and he shared with us a breathtaking slide show of the cats living wild and free. Even those of us who hate the cold found ourselves thinking how marvelous it would be to hike up so high that the air was barely enough to breathe, to face the dangers of steep rocky trails and great icy ravines just so we might catch one fleeting glimpse of these magnificent snow leopards living in all their glory at the top of the world. We were so inspired that we began promoting the Snow Leopard Enterprise items in the gift shop more than ever. We understood just how crucial each sale was to protect of these exquisite cats.

On September 27, 2006 the Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, Brad Rutherford, came to Big Cat Rescue to tell us more about the work that is being done to save the snow leopard from the aspect of building relationships. Whether it is in your family, in your business, in your country or on your planet, it all comes down to relationships.

The snow leopard lives in regions where the average person makes the equivalent of $1.00 per day. Most of the people who share the same highlands with the snow leopard are herders and to them, the loss of one sheep or goat can mean the difference in their survival. Most of the snow leopards that are killed are retribution killings; meaning that the cat has been blamed for killing one of the herd and the herdsman has killed the next snow leopard he saw. The herdsman can eat the cat and sell the hide for 25.00 which for them is a month's wage. There are many other middle men along the way who are anxious to get their hands on a snow leopard pelt or penis for the Asian medicinal trade or for the black market. The pelt dramatically becomes more valuable as it goes down the line and can cost $5,000.00 or more to the final buyer. Brad pointed out, that it is a good thing that the dead animal is worth so little to the people who are most responsible for killing them however as that makes this practice far more financially feasible to stop.

The Snow Leopard Trust members in China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia and Pakistan work closely with the local people to find out what they need. In some cases, they can create handicrafts like those we sell and make five times what they can make from herding. Over the years, the Snow Leopard Trust has brought in marketing people and craftsmen to show the local people how to create items that are marketable.

In some cases, parasites wipe out 10 times as many of their livestock as do predators, so by providing vaccines and wormers, they can help the herders save far more of their flock. What the Snow Leopard Trust does, differently than most who have come before, is that they LISTEN, find solutions that everyone is happy with and they make the programs self sustaining so that the indigenous people can take pride in their accomplishments and not be reliant on charity.

The programs are structured with reducing reliance on Snow Leopard Trust funds for each consecutive year and to remain in the program the community must ensure that no snow leopards are killed. If anyone in the community kills a snow leopard, the entire community risks losing their right to participate in the program for a year and that is enough to keep everyone watching out for the snow leopard. Their claims of protection must verified by the game wardens and governmental agencies who actually have incentives to discover poaching because they are often paid a portion of the confiscation if they can catch a poacher.

We may never get to see one of these glorious cats leaping 40 feet from one rocky ledge to another in an effortless ballet but we can watch our Snow Leopard Trust Screen Savers and imagine what it would be like to stand there in awe at the sight of them living free and we can do it knowing that by purchasing the screensavers and other great Snow Leopard Enterprise items online we helped make that dance possible. Brad told us that next to his organizations' founders' zoo in Seattle, Big Cat Rescue is the largest retailer for Snow Leopard Enterprises.

Check out this audio interview with Peter Mattiessen on his book The Snow Leopard.

Big Cat Rescue is saving snow leopards. We post the latest in snow leopard news here and in our newsletter Cat Tales. We gather news from around the world DAILY and forward it to The Global Federation of Sanctuaries and the Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition, of which we are a part, who are actively involved in saving snow leopards. See what you can do to help save these exotic cats in captivity and in the wild. Great Cats are in peril around the world and need people like you, who care about snow leopards and other exotic cats to help save them from the brink of extinction. Big Cat Rescue is working to make it illegal to sell snow leopards as pets and is diligently striving to improve conditions for big cats in zoos and circuses.

The Wildlife Conservation Network is an organization that shares our belief that the money should go to the animals and not be wasted on salaries and benefits for those who are doing the fundraising. If you contact them and say you want 100% of your donation to go to the snow leopards in the wild, that is exactly what will happen. Rodney Jackson and Darla Hilliard wrote Vanishing Tracks about their field work for four years in the Himalayas with the elusive snow leopard. They founded the Snow Leopard Conservancy and are supported in part by Wildlife Conservation Network. To read more about this conservation effort go to: http://www.wildnet.org/snowleopard.htmTo make a donation to help save snow leopards in the wild go to www.WildNet.org To make a donation to help save them in captivity go to the Make a Difference button at left.

Snow leopards are the most elusive of the great cats - perfectly camouflaged for their rocky mountain habitat in the Himalayas and the mountains of Central Asia. Despite living in some of the harshest terrain on earth, and at the highest altitudes, snow leopards are seriously threatened in the wild. These cats share the high mountains with nomadic herders who eke out a subsistence living with their yaks, horses, sheep and goats on the alpine pastures. Conflicts arise between these tough mountain people and snow leopards when occasionally the cats try to take domestic livestock, which the people depend on for every aspect of their life. When this happens, the people sometimes try to kill the cats in retribution. Poverty leaves them no other option.

The International Snow Leopard Trust is dedicated to "conserve the endangered snow leopard and its mountain ecosystem through a balanced approach that considers the needs of local people and the environment." One of the programs being implemented helps the nomadic herders who share the mountains with snow leopards to increase their household income by making and marketing handicrafts. In return for the extra income herders commit to specific actions that will help the snow leopard. This program is called Irbis Enterprises (Irbis means snow leopard in many central Asian languages, including Mongolian) ISLT also supports ways of reducing livestock losses so that conflicts do not occur so often.

You can directly support these efforts by joining the International Snow Leopard Trust or - even better - by purchasing some of the handicrafts made by the people who are the MOST important link in ensuring the cats survive in the wild for ever. Please visit The international Snow Leopard Trust Web-site: www.snowleopard.org for more general information about snow leopards in the wild. Go to the Irbis Enterprises Web-site to see products made by the herders and to learn more about conservation efforts in Mongolia www.irbis-enterprises.com Thanks so much for your passion for cats, they need all the help we can give!

You can buy some of these items on line in our secure gift shop. Look for Snow Leopard.

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https://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/savesnowleopards12656.mp3 Find out more about current snow leopard work. Big Cat Rescue supports the Snow Leopard Trust by selling Erbis Enterprises items in our gift shop. These items fund villagers in snow leopard regions as long as no snow leopard is killed in their area. That makes everyone a snow leopard protector.

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The marine iguana is found on the volcanic islands of the Galapagos. Many of the islands have steep rock cliffs, low rock ledges and intertidal flats. A. cristatus needs access to the ocean and a sandy area to lay eggs. They evolved in a habitat that is limited in predators.