ANNUAL REPORT - 2006

Big Strides for Snow Leopard Conservation

I am tremendously pleased that November 2005 at the the Snow Leopard Conservancy will National Geographic Society’s be welcoming in early 2007 Som Ale, Washington D.C. head- (at right), a Nepalese biologist and quarters, and His Holiness’s conservationist currently com- subsequent urging of Tibetans pleting his PhD at the University of to stop wearing the skins of Illinois. Som will be joining us for tigers, snow leopards and an extended period of “on-the-job” other endangered animals. In training. I have known Som since I the Feb. 15, ’06 issue of served as his advisor when he Britain’s “The Independent,” attended Tribhuvan University in Justin Huggler wrote: Kathmandu in 1990. A rich and unusual smoke Som will lead our Nepal program has been drifting into the as well as facilitate programs and Tibetan skies. People have provide training to local con- been emerging from their servationists in Nepal, India, homes and burning furs and animal It is gratifying to know that Pakistan and hopefully also Tibet. skins. Onlookers have gathered to people everywhere care what watch as Tibetans burned tiger skins happens to the earth’s remaining worth as much as £6,000 in the wild cats. Fully seventy-eight streets... percent of the Snow Leopard Conservancy’s funding in 2006 In one town, it is said you can see came from individuals who share the smoking ruins of tiger skins and other our determination to help local furs along the roadside. These scenes communities become the best are not part of some exotic ritual. They guardians of their snow leopards. are part of a major new environmental drive among Tibetans... We think of our donors — individuals, foundations and The Chinese government has companies — as members of a Som photographed the cat seen enacted legislation prohibiting special family whose names can still here in 2005; it was the first international trade in endangered fit on one page of our annual report, confirmed sighting of the elusive species, although skins are still sold but who are a powerful force for snow leopard on the Nepal side of openly in some cities. But the network conservation. Kids alone raised over Mount Everest since the 1960s. of protected areas along the Tibetan $2,000 for our in-country education Plateau has been expanded, a critical programs. That’s partnership at its There is mixed news to report action, as China is thought to harbor best! following the forum with His Holiness some 60% of the snow leopard’s the XIV Dalai Lama, held in habitat.

Congratulations to our colleagues at the International Snow Leopard Trust, Rodney Jackson, Founder-Director who recently placed a satellite radio collar on a beautiful female snow leopard Snow Leopard Conservancy in the Chitral Gol region of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province. Conservation Highlights Transforming Conflict between Snow Leopards and People to Peaceful Coexistence

Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust P.O. Box 67, Leh-194101, Ladakh India email: [email protected]

The summer of 2006 brought the century’s worst flooding to Ladakh, Nubra, and Zanskar. Roads, bridges, and one SLC-India Trust entire village were washed away, adobe homes were heavily Riju Raj Jamwal, Managing Trustee damaged, crops and lives were lost. To add to the challenges Renzino Lepcha & David Sonam, Trustees of community-based conservation in this remote area, a Rinchen Wangchuk, Director Jigmet Dadul, Program Assistant, Ladakh dispute between the district government and local NGOs Tashi Thundup, Program Assistant, Zanskar led to the putting on hold of many activities. Still, we were Padma Dolma, Village Steward, Ladakh able to stay on track with most of our work. Tsering Angmo & Rigzin Tundup, Education Program Coordinators Gudrun Batek & Dilpreet Singh, Volunteers Rodney Jackson, Advisor The Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust participated in a situation analysis for the Changthang Biodiversity The partnership of the Jammu & Kashmir Wildlife Conservaition and Rural Livelihoods Improvement project, Department is much appreciated. sponsored by the World Bank Global Environment Fund. With the completion of ten SLC-India Trust’s new corrals in the Zanskar and Pune-based educa- Nubra areas, we have now tion program partner, predator-proofed twenty-two Kalpavriksh, trained corrals since the program began, two village-based serving 194 households and some 3,000 head of livestock. facilitators to conduct These corrals are protecting from activities in targeted herder retaliation up to twenty rural schools. Work- snow leopards in Zanskar, five in shops reached some Nubra and ten in Ladakh. seventy children in six settlements in Hemis Himalayan Homestays National Park. The continue to grow and attract State Education De- accolades. FabIndia Overseas partment was so Pvt. Ltd. donated Rs. 150,000 worth home fabrics, impressed with Kalpavriksh’s special teaching materials curtains, and linens, helping Himalayan Homestay host (posters of the flora and fauna of northern India, inter- families improve their guest rooms and increase visitation. active games, and a teachers’ manual) that they asked The Oct. 14, 2006 Guardian Travel Section said: There are SLC-India Trust to mass produce them for wider plenty of places in India distribution. that bandy around the words “eco” and “re- Thanks to a generous sponsible”, but you have donor, SLC-India Trust to look carefully to find replaced its wornout those places that offer vehicle with a new an authentic green Indian-built Maruti holiday rather than a Gypsy. Director Rinchen Jigmet Dadul inspects the new greenwash. Himalayan Wangchuk drove the solar shower at Skyu Village Homestays is the real vehicle some 1200 km. deal. You’re invited to over unimproved moun- eat meals in the kitchen with the family...and there are plenty tain roads, since the of local trekking guides to take you to see ancient highway to Leh was monasteries and wildlife...the local thing is just what it is, closed for the winter. not what it pretends to be.

The teams recalled all English and Ladakhi names of all the species that we presented visually. Even though Markha is far more remote than the school at Matho, and the children more reticent to speak, we found that they had learned and remembered the most. - Excerpt from Kalpavriksh’s Progress Report Conservation Highlights (Continued) Pakistan Program

In Gojal, would not have to travel volunteer to Sost looking for work. Andrew Chinn, consultant “If the men are here Rehman Posh, again they can build the and represen- big walls. We can then revert to our traditional jobs of making tatives of the milk, yogurt and bread. We would be happy to provide food Khunjerab for the workforce.” Village Or- In Baltistan, corral predator-proofing continued at ganization several sites, and the Snow Leopard Conservancy developed a recruited a Pakistani student to undertake snow leopard methodology food habits studies in order to determine the importance for identifying of livestock in the cat’s diet. depredation hotspots in the Khunjerab National Park buffer zone. They conducted a baseline corral inventory and created an action plan for 2006-2007. Five areas were World Environment Day, identified with pens most in need of predator-proofing, June 5 and a total of thirteen corrals are scheduled for construction starting in 2007. The consultants were guests of honor at the Shepherds re- Gircha School’s celebrations. ported that in more They described the corral than 58 years no predator-proofing in part- depredation on live- nership with SLC, and stock occurred on conducted conservation Imam Panah, Chairman of the the Biobar pasture, education activities with the Education Committee but recent attacks in- children. receiving Rs. 2000 on behalf dicate that snow of SLC to initiate a snow leopard populations The students were leopard project with the have increased. In interested to hear that in teachers. fact an attack had Andrew’s homeland of just occurred three hours away, with the loss of twenty Scotland the lynx and wolf had been hunted to extinction livestock. Shepherdess Tai Bergum witnessed the snow in the 18th Century leopard attack. “It was the first time I had seen the snow and now tourists leopard and I was very scared.” went to other countries to see these wonderful Bibi Sulton expressed the views of the community. animals. They “Hopefully, SLC can document this attack and help us. Allah understood the arranged by fortune that you arrived at the time of this incident importance of pro- to help our community.” tecting the beautiful snow leopard. Tai Bergum suggested a half-time paid shepherd with a dog would benefit the community greatly. Then the men

Going the Extra Mile for Snow Leopards Shop our website for gifts, www.SnowLeopardConservancy.org. Our web sales nearly doubled in 2006, from $4,525 to $8,400. Try www.Goodsearch.com and help us grow this “free” source of funding! Goodsearch directs $.01 to your designated nonprofit, every time you use their Google-sponsored engine to search the web. The Snow Leopard Conservancy received $26.33 for 2006.

Does your employer have a Matching Grant program? In 2006 the Snow Leopard Conservancy received matches from Bank of America, Harder & Company, IBM, Microsoft, and Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing (SAP) Thanks to Dr. Georges Barth and the Zurich Zoo for the great photo of Dshamilja and her cub Gul’cha - soon to be available for purchase on our website! Tashi R. Ghale Conservation Captures Wild Mugu Mustang Jr. Rangers. China (Tibet) Snow Leopards Dolpa. Highlights Jr. Rangers . Mt. Everest via Camera-Trap in . Nar (Continued) Manang Manang Kathmandu Nepal In the summer of India Nepal Program 2005, Rodney Jackson trained Tashi Ghale in the set-up and operation Students Teaching Students About Snow Leopards of the CamTracker. Over in Manang the following winter, Tashi’s camera captured Tilak Shresta serves as Conservation Teacher at the Annapurna 34 snow leopard images, including an adult pair together. We Secondary School. During the summer he led six teachers and have identified at least three different cats in the photos. 23 students on their second field trip, this time to the remote village of Nar, a two day trek from Manang over a 17,456-ft. pass. He wrote: Snow Leopard Conservation & Education in Mustang We reached Nar Tung Chhoser standard corral before predator-proofing in the evening with full excitement and hopes. At 8:30 we started our culture program along with the snow leopard conservation and related awareness Tung Chhoser standard corral after predator-proofing activities with the villagers. Around Chhimi Rinzen Gurung oversaw the construction of two 11:30 we ended the standard corrals and two Gyang wall (rammed earth) corrals program with big benefiting a total of 144 households and 14,190 sheep and goats. applause and These corrals, along thanks-giving. On the second day, with the full support of the with the five others built Mothers Group who helped us with all the necessary equipment, since 2003, are pro- we held a community cleanup. The villagers appeared on their tecting up to twenty rooftops, thanking us for cleaning the litter and taking it to the snow leopards. dumping site. We also visited the school, where the Annapurna Secondary students talked about their experiences in creating The local herder Pema and maintaining an eco-club. The Nar school then formed an Rinjin said, “The new eco-club with eleven members. gyang corral protects our livestock from cold Also last summer wind during the winter, Chhimi traveled to Ladakh in February to Tilak traveled to demonstrate solar fence construction to as well as from snow SLC-India Trust staff, and to exchange ideas Mugu District in far leopards.” about Homestays and corral construction western Nepal to take part in the annual Junior Ranger Chhimi also introduced Educational activities Teacher Training, conservation included plant and supervised by Binod education in animal identification, a Dhakal, Principal of three field trip to the Dunai School, who schools, experimental forage also traveled to Mugu reaching plot, and various from Dolpa. Tilak seventy-six contests. Students and and his students, students teachers asked that raised Rs 53,000 (about $700) to finance the introduction of the from Classes the program be con- Junior Ranger curriculum to their school in 2007. 4 to 8. tinued. Chhimi wrote: A teacher from each school participated in the training. All the students are very excited to know the SLC’s Education Consultant Nagendra Bhudathoki different kinds of wildlife, received the Jane Spence/Joe White Alumni Award and they are eager to learn more. Drawing wildlife is the best program in from Audubon of the North Woods, for his commitment school. Some of the students asked lots of questions, and they now have to environmental education in his home country. a good concept of how to conserve the endangered wildlife. Most of the creative students brought a lot of new ideas to develop the program.

“The progress, and results, of SLC’s innovative and enterprising work in upper Mustang, Nepal, have been nothing less than remarkable. With modest funds, Program Coordinator Chhimi Gurung has worked with the communities to install predator-proof corrals—including successful trials of solar-powered electric fences — that benefit a sizable share of the sheep, goat and yak herders in the region. While working as Field Director for the American Himalayan Foundation, I recall interviewing villagers who described “ammunition” and “bullets” as their greatest development need—to rid their villages and pastures of snow leopard. But SLC has provided something much better: the protection from predators that the villagers desire, and a chance for the snow leopard to live, as well.” - Broughton Coburn, Co-editor, Himalaya: Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge and Hope Conservation Highlights (Continued) Thanks to the Christensen Fund for the major grant in 2005 that funded this work. Tajikistan Program

Reviving Traditional Attitudes Towards Snow Leopards and Other Wildlife in Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains

Snow leopards They shared and Marco Polo their stories as their sheep are important photos were dis- to the high altitude played on a laptop. ecosystem. Also, Discussions followed animals and plants about why they play important roles chose the subjects in human culture: in they did. Photos language, sacred ranged from the © Mai-Loan Bassot & Thibaut Faures ceremonies, folklore, participants’ homes www.Stepbysteppe.com and medicine. and cherished family members, useful Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Tajikistan’s plants, livestock and Yaks are important for many reasons recent civil war, poaching with easy-to-find automatic rifles animal products. has become widespread. Traps are set for snow leopard, wolf and brown bear, The planning phase provided the and Marco Polo sheep meat sells for half background needed to initiate a the price of mutton. Thus a major program aimed at strengthening and challenge to conservationists is the giving support to mountain voices issue of rampant hunting and how to and improving the ability of local combat the loss of taboos that communities to take action. Our traditionally preserved wildlife or kept approach will be to build their hunting within more reasonable bounds. capacity for participatory planning and action in community-based In 2006 the Snow Leopard biodiversity stewardship, and to Conservancy’s multi-disciplinary team support local organizations in visited Pamiri and Kyrgyz communities to designing and implementing explore ways in which the herders might initiatives focused on sustainable reestablish their historic connections extraction, hunting practices, and between culture and conservation. SLC India Trust Director wildlife conservation and linking these with strategies for Rinchen Wangchuk traveled from Ladakh to share his improving livelihoods. experiences and learn from the local communities. We adapted a participatory planning technique known as PhotoVoice for engaging communities and facilitating long-term planning. Russia Small teams of women, men and children were given digital cameras to photograph the most important aspects The Snow Leopard of their lives and surroundings. Conservancy Russia provided camera traps to the Altai Assistance Project Ticken chop - This plant is useful not only for humanity, but Altai for monitoring of also for wild animals. It is also useful for the stomach Kazakhstan China diseases of wild animals. And people also eat this plant for snow leopards, and Mongolia headache and blood pressure. In present times there is not supported pilot- as much of this plant as there used to be. testing of remote detection devices for anti-poaching - PhotoVoice exercise participant efforts in protected areas in the Russian Altai. Snow Leopard Conservancy 18030 Comstock Avenue Sonoma, CA 95476 Phone (707) 935-3851 Fax (707) 933-9816 www.SnowLeopardConservancy.org A Program of the Cat Action Treasury (www.felidae.org)

Building community capacity for stewardship of the endangered snow leopard, its prey and habitat

US Headquarters Photo by Tashi Ghale Rodney Jackson, Founder-Director Darla Hillard, Education Director Joyce Robinson, Office Assistant

In-Country Staff

Nagendra Bhudathoki, Education Coordinator, Nepal Tsedar Bhutia, Coordinator, Nepal Chhimi Gurung, Mustang Program Coordinator, Nepal Ghulam Wafi Shah and Ulfat Shah, Village Stewards, Pakistan

Advisory Board

Christine Breitenmoser-Würsten, Ph.D., International This Wild Snow Leopard from Manang, Nepal Helps us Union for the Conservation of Nature Don Hunter, Ph.D., U.S.Geological Survey Send Special Thanks to All Those Listed Below Nandita Jain, Ph.D., Specialist in Charles Knowles and the Wildlife Conservation Network staff and Environment and Development volunteers provided significant fundraising assistance Kristin Nowell, Cat Action Treasury Camille Richard, Rangeland Ecologist Sabine Stevens and the Del Dios Country Store Bar & Grill, George Schaller, Ph.D., Wildlife Conservation Society Escondido, California, hosted our 2006 event Mike Weddle, Science Instructor, Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School Sculptor Mark Coreth donated his beautiful snow leopard sculpture, filmmaker Rubert Merton documented the sculpture’s creation, and the Sladmore Gallery, London, England mounted Five Journeys, an exhibition Program Partners of Mark’s work on endangered species

Agence d’Aide à la Coopération Technique Et Several other artists have raised money for snow leopard conservation au Développement, France through sales of their work: Graeme Base, Ken Bohn, Nicole Byrne, All Spiti Youth Organization, India Maureen Duryee, Tom Glenn Janet Klein, Jane LaFazio, Laura Makey, American Himalayan Foundation, USA Kate McCavitt, Sue Marek, Sabrina Johnston, Andrea Steorts, Dunai Boarding School Sabine Stevens, Carolyn Walter, Lorena Walton Ecotourism & Conservation Society of Sikkim Leopards, Etc. of Occidental, CA & their ambassador snow leopard, FabIndia Overseas Pvt. Ltd. Asha, make the difference in our fundraising events. Project Survival Hushey Village Conservation Committee, Pakistan of Dunlap, CA, Safari West of Santa Rosa, CA, the San Diego and Jammu & Kashmir Dept of Wildlife Protection, India San Francisco Zoo Keepers, and Zoofari of Carlsbad, CA all have Jane Goodall Environmental Magnet School, USA made special efforts to spread the word Kalpavriksh, India National Trust For Nature Conservation/ Geographic Expeditions and KarmaQuest Ecotourism and Annapurna Conservation Area Program, Nepal Adventure Travel organize our special Snow Leopard Treks Kangchendzonga Conservation Committee, Sikkim The following groups and individuals donated goods and services: Khunjerab Village Organization, Pakistan Dale Anderson, Helen Becker, Nicki Boyd, Del Dios Country Store Ladakh Ecological Development Group, India Bar & Grill, Heidi and Phil Ensley, Jeff Erwin, Gloria Ferrer Manang Youth Society, Nepal Champagne Caves, Patty Griess, Hafner Vineyard, Leopards, Etc, The Mountain Institute, USA Kathy Marmack, Marmot Mountain, Mission Linen Supply, Mountain Spirit, Nepal North County Times, Petco, Print World, Rain’n Cats ‘n Dogs, Muse, India Rancho Santa Fe Review, Rosemary-Duff Florist, San Diego Zoo, Nature Conservation Foundation, India Sysco Foods, Toni-Anne Townsend, The Vineyard, Vision Quest Ranch, Overland Escape, India Walt Disney World, Cindy Waasdorp, Judy Wheatley, Wildlife Project Snow Leopard, Pakistan Conservation Network, Britta Wilson-Pastor, Wine Warehouse, Snow Leopard Network, USA Working Hand in Hand, Zoological Society of San Diego Snow Leopard Trust, USA Society For Environmental Education, Pakistan The Snow Leopard Conservancy volunteers donated Shimshal Nature Trust, Pakistan over 500 hours to put on our Escondido fundraiser, and to conduct Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement education and outreach activities throughout the year: Eva Au, of Ladakh, India Nicki Boyd, Kim Caldwell, Jessica Catalaine, Valinda Cranfill, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Namita Dalal, Steve Davis, Allene Deaton, Antonia DeMatto, Organization, France Maureen Duryee, Heidi & Phil Ensley, Alicia Falsetto, Steve Flaherty, U.S. Geological Survey’s Fort Collins Science Center Richard Goold, Patty Griess, Terry Hillard, Misti & Jessi Hughes, U.S. National Park Service, Lassen Volcanic Rhonda Hughes, Sabrina Johnston, Kate McCavitt, Barbara Palmer, National Park Kristine Perham, Roger Perso, Sierra Piotrowski, Lindsay Rich, Ray Wildlife Institute of India Richardson, Joyce Robinson, Jerry Roe, Sabine Stevens, Doug Strauss, WWF-Nepal Judy Wheatley, Lorena Walton, David Wilson, Jeanette Wong Finances $20,000 or greater - Anonymous Donor, Leonard X. Bosack & Bette M. Kruger Charitable Foundation, Jon Vannini, Wildlife Conservation Network Income $256,562 $10,000-$19,999 - Adelman Foundation, Sidney S. Byers Charitable Trust, CGMK Foundation, Antonia DeMatto, Shared Earth Foundation InterestInterest 1.31% 1.31% $5,000 to $9,999 - American Himalayan Foundation, Nancy Abraham & Arnold Moss, Omidyar Foundation, Sabine, Rick and Nick Stevens Donations & Grants 20.4% Sales 78.29% $1,000 to $4,999 - Bill & Penny Andrews, Calgary Zoological Society, Latha Colby, Domke Estate, Tom & Mary Herrmann, Cathryn & Carl Hilker, Victoria Hunter, IBM International Matching Grants, Jane Goodall Expenses $247,349 Environmental Magnet School, Sabrina Johnston, John & Kellie Lehr, Meyers Charitable Family Fund, Glenn Nash & Cheryl Kendall, Safari Fundraising 6.28% West, the Stewart family, Linda Tabor-Beck, Charles & Judy Wheatley, Wild Cat Education & Conservation Fund, John & Cathy Yee

$500 to $999 - Helen Becker, the Beers Family, Mark Coreth, Stu During Programs 85.25% G&A 8.47% & Yoshi Kurihara, Steve Flaherty, Cherie Guerrero, Betsy Howell, Kennon & Bob Hudson, Rodney Jackson, Renee Lagloire, Kenneth & Marilyn Lavezzo, Maria Leech, Michael Linvill, Dave McGregor, Microsoft Matching Grants, Gordon & Kaysea Ray, Evelyn Roberts, Nancy Robertson & Mark Cookingham, Garry & Robin Stasch, Doug Strauss & Alicia Falsetto, Ed & Sally Supplee, Donna Allen Taylor, Margo Walker, Zoofari, Inc.

Up to $499 - Irene Anderson, Sandy & Jordan Andrews, Audubon Center of the Northwoods, Bank of America Matching Grants, Dr. Georges Barth, Nicki Boyd, Craig & Jennifer Burrows, Armand & Patricia Special thanks to Camarena, Virginia Cechmanek, Denyelle & Alex Chapman, Shuyan Chen, Jo Christie, Susan Combs, Charles Knowles Covington School, the Crall family, Jill & Kirby Cronin, Alisyn & David Crowder, David Crutcher, Karen and Dapsis, Davy Davidson, Ken Davis, Wendy & Guy Debbas, Frans DeKock, Delilah School, Doug & Pat Donaldson, Dustin Dovala, Maureen & Paul Draper, Wynne & Mark Dubovoy, Mary Dural, Maureen Duryee, Anne Elliott, Virginia Ellsworth, Beatrix Elsasser, Heidi & Phil Ensley, Enslow Publishers, Katheryne Erigero, Veronica Espada, Dayna Estinosa, Allison Falls, Celia Felsher, Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, Michael Freedman & Cathy Ching, Jan & Codel Frydendahl, Maridell & Daniel Garrett, Geographic Expeditions, Inge Gfroerer, Jack & Eleanor Godfrey, GoodSearch, Ken & Becky Gradiska, Judith Graven, Hafner Vineyard, Harder + Company Community Research, Carol Hart, Janet Hauser, Andy & Dina Hawkins, Nancy Heitel, Dave Herman, Chris Higgins, Felicia Hillard, Keith & Stacey Iverson, Brent Jensen, Jean Johnston, Elizabeth Jonca, Marisa & Joe Katnic, Dianna & Jullian Kitay, Janet Klein, Morris Knutsen, Christine Kratavil, Carol Kropnick, Donna & Shannon Lawson, Kym & Andrew Lee, David Leland & Ann Howald, Mary Lieras, Lincoln School, Katherine Long, Edwina Lu, Darlene Markovich, Steven & Renee Marshall, Kate McCavitt, Robert McKeown, Wesley McLachlan, Vivian McNamara, Debra Merritt, Daniel & Devon Morehead, Deborah & Cree Morgan, Robert & Marilyn Moyes, Kate Nefzger, Penny Nolan, Mark Oberholz, Cindy Paget, Carol Palmertree, Alexandra Peckham, Carey Peterson, Project Survival, Emma Quilliam, Candace Quinn, Emily Reich, Arthur & Elaine Reichert, Joyce Robinson, Jordan Sack, San Diego AAZK, SAP Matching Grants, Kathleen Savesky, Susan Schwartz, Sheffield Folk Chorale, Brian Sinofsky & Catherine Carey, Kenneth & Marilynn Smith, Norma Smith, Anne Snowball, Piotor Suprynowicz, Rhys Sweaney, June Taylor & Perry Small, Leslie Thalman, Cynthia Traylor, Chris Tromberg, John Tyler, Janet Van Swoll, the Van Wolbeck family, Callie Velmachos, Wanda Vivequin, Jayson Wechter, Darla Weiss, Chris & Shirlee Wemmer, Mark Whitney, Dawn Williams

Raising Awareness of Snow Leopard Conservation Here at Home

An Essay by Rodney Jackson is included in Himalaya: Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge, and Hope, published by National Geographic Society & American Himalayan Foundation. Jackson’s story, “Hidden Spirit of the Himalaya,” appears in the 2nd edition of Kinship with Animals, published by Council Oaks Books.

Sanctuary Asia, India’s leading wildlife, conservation and environment magazine, published “The Ghost of the Mountains,” by SLC-India Trust’s Education Program partner Sujatha Padmanabhan. The story is an account of her unforgettable experience watching a wild snow leopard in Ladakh.

Rodney Jackson and Darla Hillard were guests in April and December on “Pet Talk,” Sonoma Community Radio Station KSVY, and the interview received coverage in the sister community newspaper, the Sonoma Sun. Putting Snow Leopard Conservation into Critical Challenges in Saving Snow Leopards Perspective and How You Can Help Snow leopard range Empowering communities to directly benefit from an covers as much as a ecosystem that includes snow leopards, so they can million square miles, better tolerate occasional livestock losses shown here in red. Conservation efforts are $50 rents pack horses to carry educational materials for complicated by the fact two visits to Markha school in Ladakh, India that the fragmented $150 supports an exchange visit to study Himalayan range encompasses Homestays some of the planet’s $300 buys equipment for a village-based nature guide most remote, moun- tainous, and roadless Predator-proofing livestock corrals, so snow leopards territory. Twelve coun- do not kill an entire herd at once and suffer retaliation tries are confirmed to by the shepherds harbor snow leopards, $600 buys a solar-electric fence for pastures in Nepal with much of the habitat $2,000 predator proofs a community corral in Zanskar, India on sensitive borders of sometimes volatile na- Accurately estimating wild snow leopard numbers, and tions where civil and learning why some cats are more likely than others to international conflicts are Snow Leopard kill livestock, so villagers can monitor snow leopards common. Local com- Range Map and take more effective steps to avoid depredation munities across the range $800 funds a village-based camera-trap monitoring program speak more than twelve distinct languages, and the cultures are nearly as diverse. The Building capacity for sustainable snow leopard challenges are huge, but so are the opportunities to work with conservation by range country professionals local communities and organizations to help them transform a situation of conflict between people and wildlife to one of better $5,000 covers the salary and materials for Education harmony and coexistence. Program Coordinator for one year

18030 Comstock Ave Sonoma, CA 95476