The Use of Trail Cameras for Understanding and Protecting Snow Leopards
By Tyler Stinchcomb
Zookeeper
Miami University, OH
stinchtd@miamioh.edu
Trail Cameras are an essential part of Snow Leopard conservation and give us a glimpse into the lives of these elusive animals and how their population is doing.
Examples of trail cams giving unique and rare look into these cats lives
Use of Trail Cams
Trail cameras are a non invasive monitoring technique allowing researchers to have direct population counts, and reliable monitoring of local individual snow leopards.
This tool lets researchers know where to concentrate their conservation efforts.
Each camera can take up to 2,500 photos which can reveal individual cats based on their unique spot patterns.
Researchers use these cameras to determine the approximate number of cats in an area and then can decide if that particular area is important snow leopard habitat to be protected.
Snow Leopard Trust
This organization uses many different research tool to learn about snow leopards and to work to protect them in their local habitats.
The Snow Leopard Trust has used trail cameras in India, Mongolia and Pakistan, focused on a predetermined 400 km2 area. The standard size helps define the study areas in order to create more accurate results to be compared.
20-40 cameras are set up in that range, often during the summer where the leopards are more active.
The cameras take a picture every half-second when a source of heat (ex. snow leopard, goat, or fox) moves in front of it
They've conducted camera studies in 5 countries over several years collecting the largest library of snow leopard photos in the world.
Published the first ever long-term snow leopard population monitoring study in Mongolia to partner with local communities in order to protect these cats since 1998.
Why should you care about snow leopards?
Snow Leopard Facts
The snow leopard is endangered with 3,920 to 6,390 cats left in the wild.
This species is both a top predator and an indicator of health in the ecosystems they inhabit. If they are protected then so will several other species.
Snow leopards are solitary and hard to find animals that are active most frequently at dawn and dusk.
They are skilled hunters, preying on herbivores including blue sheep and ibex. In some areas they do prey on livestock which brings them into conflict with local communities.
Snow leopards live in the mountains of central Asia across 12 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
They are referred to as the 'ghosts of the mountain' as they blend into their environment and are rarely seen.
Weight: 60-120 pounds
Body Length: 39-51 inches, tail can be as long as their bodies
Their thick, gray fur patterned with grayish black spots help them become almost invisible along the rocky slopes
Mating occurs in late winter and usually 2 or 3 cubs are born 90-100 days later and stay with their mother until they become independent and can hunt by their own at around 18 to 22 months
Photo by Paul Sangeorzan
The Threats
Poaching
This is the biggest problem facing snow leopards. As domestic livestock continue to spread into the snow leopards range, the cats will occasionally prey on them causing herders to retaliate and kill snow leopards in order to protect their livestock.
They are also poached for the illegal wildlife trade for their beautiful fur and for other parts which are used for traditional medicines.
Habitat Loss and fragmentation
Mining and other activities have destroyed parts of their habitat, as well as declining the populations of their prey.
The more difficult it is for snow leopards to find prey then the more likely they are to hunt domestic livestock.
Climate Change
The average temperature across the snow leopards home range in increasing which will decrease their habitat even more.
Mylo from the John Ball Zoo.
Photo by John Ball Zoo
Kira from the Niabi Zoo.
Photo by Deirdre Baker.
Zoos are also helping with snow leopard conservation with the use of trail cameras
Over 600 snow leopards are found in accredited zoos worldwide
Over 40+ in the United States alone actively participate in snow leopard research by using trail cameras to take photos of their own snow leopards in the zoo setting.
Hundreds of more zoos support conservation actions in the wild and help to fund snow leopard conservation.
Look for zoos with AZA or ZAA accreditation as they are more likely to be supporting conservation efforts and consistently hold fundraising opportunities to help snow leopard conservation.
Podcast Interview with Joel Vanderbush, Curator of Education at the Niabi Zoo.
This interview features a great conversation about how the Niabi Zoo, along with several other zoos, is assisting research in the field for snow leopard conservation.
References
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/snow-leopard
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/snow-leopard
https://snowleopardconservancy.org/range-map/
Newey, Scott et al. “Limitations of recreational camera traps for wildlife management and conservation research: a practitioner's perspective.” Ambio vol. 44 Suppl 4,Suppl 4 (2015): 624-35. doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0713-1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4623860/