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Contents• Editorial 2

• Environment/ Wildlife Law

Enforcement in Nepal 3

• Quenching Thirst for Lion Bones 4

• 96 Percent of the World’s Species

Remain Unevaluated by the Red List 7

• 4,000 Wild Monkeys Saved from

Laboratory Experiments: Colombia 10

• Civil War Endangers Myanmar’s

Ailing Tigers 13

• Experts Report Highest Elephant ... 15

• Interpol: 200 Arrested in Biggest .... 17

• 12yr Jail for Killing Tiger, Elephant 18

• Will Elephants Still Roam Earth ... 20

• India Lost 48 Tigers in 22 Weeks 22

• Animal Attraction: World’s .... 24

• Rare Parrots, Myna Birds ... 26

• Sl Hosts Inaugural Wildlife ... 27

• Indonesia Declared an ... 29

• Wildlife News 31

• Speech of former President of ... 38

• Global Tiger Initiative ... 38

• Scientists Find Cubs of .... 40

2

EditorialEditorial

With the recent publication of IUCN Red list, one is sure to be bound of doubts. The list, though

has upgraded and entered more species this year, it is yet to list out remaining 98% of species

that are not evaluated.

The Red List published by IUCN to categorize animals as vulnerable, endangered or extinct has been

successfully able to add new and left out species. But the question still arises as to what about the other

animals that have been unevaluated by IUCN?

It is necessary to identify the species surviving in the Earth before they are extinct. It is important to

work for the conservation of the species that have been left out of the list so that they also get second

chance.

•

Four days before stepping out as President of World Bank, Robert Bruce Zoellick gave his last speech

on conservation of tiger and its significance.

He stressed on Partnership and commitment as the keys to success. As all of you know, there are many

efforts to try to save the tiger and other species. We have a lot of conservation groups that devoted

many hours and dollars to this effort. The leadership and commitment of each and every one of these

tiger range countries is what makes this project so unique and powerful. The vision of these leaders

in getting results in action on the ground, often involving some very courageous frontline staff, from

reserve directors and guards to rangers, is the key.

With the arrival of new President in World Bank it is yet to see what changes will come in conservation

sector. The need for conservation has been seen in recent times and one can only hope that with new

President, the future in conservation will prosper for conservation of wildlife.

3

Environment/ Wildlife Law Enforcement

in Nepal

On 29 June 2012, Wildlife

Watch Group (WWG)

organized a one day workshop

in IUCN to exchange

precise and insight life time

experiences and knowledge to

future wildlife lawyers. The

workshop was organized to

provide foundation to future

lawyers who are interested

in conservation of wildlife

and understanding of CITES.

The workshop was attended

by 10 participants who were

enthusiastic and eager to learn

about Wildlife Act and CITES.

Mr. Shyam Bajimaya, Mr.

Diwakar Chapagain and Mr.

Mangal Man Shakya were the

resource person during the

workshop. Mr. Chapagain of

WWF Nepal gave details on

practices and actions of WWF

for the implementation and

possible perspective of wildlife

protection activities and law

enforcement at institutional

level.

Mr. Shyam Bajimaya, keynote

speaker for the program said

that issues of illegal trade of

species, endangered species,

exploitation and extinction. He

expressed that there is limitless

opportunities for future seeker

in this stream.

Mangal Man Shakya,

Chairman of WWG said that

to collect the collective minds

of lawyers on the theme,

workshop was organized. He

said to protect wildlife; there

is need of sufficient wildlife

lawyers’ and journalists along

with scientists and effective

governing body.

Speaking during the program,

Dr. Arzu Deuba said that it

is a great platform to uplift

women and provide them

opportunities do that they can

work in the conservation of

wildlife.

The enthusiastic participants

gave their opinions and ideas

on way forward. The program

ended with lunch at IUCN

premise.

4

Quenching Thirst for Lion Bones

Lion bones are a sought-after

ingredient used to make

lion bone wine, a substitute for

a traditional Asian cure-all -

tiger bone wine.

Desktop activists have joined

conservationists to raise

awareness about the growing

demand for lion bones from

users of traditional Chinese

medicine, but breeders have

defended the right to hunt lions

born in captivity.

The online activist

organization Avaaz.com

launched a petition imploring

President Jacob Zuma to ban the

trade of lion bones. “As citizens

from around the world with

great respect for South Africa

and its magnificent natural

heritage, we appeal to you to

ban the cruel and senseless trade

in lion bones and organs, which

is encouraging an industry that

5

could drive lions to the brink of

extinction,” says the petition,

which garnered over 630 000

signatures in a week.

Lion bones are a sought-after

ingredient used to make lion

bone wine, a substitute for the

traditional Asian cure-all, tiger

bone wine, which fetches up

to R250 000 a case at illicit

auctions.

Conservationists have warned

that captive breeding and

canned hunting programmes

in South Africa are providing a

source for the lion bone trade.

Canned lion hunting is legal

in South Africa, as is the

exporting of lion carcasses.

Lion populations across Africa

have been reduced by 90%

over the past 50 years, but lion

breeders say their operations

have nothing to do with the

continent’s wild populations.

The price of trophies

Breeders can benefit financially

a number of times from the

same lion. Cubs are often

rented as tourist attractions and

visitors pay to pet and interact

with them. The fee paid by

visitors is then fed back into

captive breeding programmes.

As adults, the lions are sold

to hunters in canned hunting

arrangements.

Farmers and hunting operators

charge in the region of about

$20 000 (R160 000) as a

“trophy price” and hunters can

expect to pay around $18 000

(R145 000) for other services,

excluding taxidermy.

But the hunters are only

interested in the head and skin

of the lion, and often leave the

bones with the breeder, who

can then sell the bones, with a

government permit, to Asian

buyers for use in making lion

bone wine.

It’s estimated that a complete

lion skeleton can sell for as

much as R80 000. Last year it

emerged that over 1 400 lion

and leopard trophies were

exported from the country in

2009 and 2010.

According to the environmental

affairs minister, in 2010, 153

live lions were exported as well

as 46 lion skins, 235 carcasses,

592 trophies, 43 bodies and 41

skulls. It was noted that these

figures were incomplete as the

provinces had not yet captured

all their data. Yet there was a

150% growth in exports of lion

products from 2009 and 2010.

Amplifying an illegal industry

Chris Mercer, director of the

Campaign Against Canned

Hunting, said hunting captive-

bred lions was “hideously

damaging” to conservation.

“It’s farming with alternative

livestock. They’re only doing it

because they make more money

farming lions than they do

sheep or cattle. But they don’t

realize they’re harming the wild

populations by creating and

amplifying an illegal industry

and allowing it to prosper,” he

said.

Mercer said he believes the

export of lion bones and in

fact the entire canned hunting

industry should be banned.

He pointed out that there was

a huge overlap between the

rhino horn and lion bone trade.

“Many of the Asiatic groups

dealing with lion bones are the

same people dealing with rhino

horn,” he said.

He criticized government for

taking a simplistic view of the

matter and overlooking the

dangers the lion bone trade

poses. “The very people who

are doing our rhino horn

[poaching] are making money

out of this. You can just imagine

how the illegal trade is going to

piggy-back itself onto this legal

trade,” he warned.

Banning the entire trade will be

difficult. There are almost 200

lion breeders in the country,

many of whom are part of the

powerful Predator Breeders’

lobby group. The breeding of

lions for trophy hunting is a

lucrative business. In 2009,

the economic value of trophy

hunting was estimated to be

between R153-million and

R832-million.

Rapidly going extinct

But Pieter Kat, director of

the UK-based conservation

organization LionAid, said a

lot could be achieved simply

by placing a ban on the export

of lion bones. Lions are listed

on appendix two of the

Convention on International

Trade in Endangered Species of

Wild Fauna and Flora, which

means that a government

permit is needed to export any

lion products. “It will take a

6

position of responsibility by

South Africa to say, ‘No more,

we will not allow this,’” he said.

“South Africa is within its

rights [to] say no more export

permits,” said Kat.

Kat said that while one could

argue about the ethics of

breeding lions just to be shot, it

was important to bear in mind

that whatever South Africa did

in terms of its legal trade in

lion bones would affect wild

lion populations all over the

continent.

Kat pointed out that there are

only about 20 000 lions left on

the entire continent – down

from about 200 000 in the

1970s. In the past few years

Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and the

Republic of Congo-Brazzaville

have lost all their lions, while

countries like Nigeria, Malawi

and Senegal have only a few

dozen lions left.

“We’re dealing with a species

that is rapidly going extinct

but because we are not really

focused on lions – we’re talking

about elephants and rhinos –

it’s a silent extinction,” he said.

He warned that allowing the

trade in lion bones to proliferate

would stimulate a demand for

the product. “Soon someone

will [realise] it’s cheaper for to

poach than to pay the owner

of a captive animal to get the

bones,” he said.

Breeding for exploitation is only human

But Professor Pieter Potgieter,

chairperson of the South

African Predator Breeders’

Association, defended the

industry saying there is little

difference between breeding

lions and any other mammal.

“Chickens are killed by humans.

How are lions different from

them?” he asked.

“In principle a lion is not more

or less than a crocodile, an

ostrich or a butterfly. It’s a form

of life. Breeding animals for

human exploitation is a natural

human process,” he said.

Potgieter said that breeding

and hunting lions was only

deplorable in the eyes of the

public because a “sympathetic

myth has been created about

the lion as the king of the

animals”.

He justified the practice, saying

the export of lion bones is a

legal trade authorised by the

department of environmental

affairs and denied that South

Africa’s approach to captive

breeding and canned lion

hunting was feeding into the

Asian demand for lion bones.

“I don’t think that market is

being created by the South

African situation. That would

happen anyhow and the more

the Asian tiger gets extinct, the

more people will try to get hold

of lion bones as a substitute,”

he said.

In 2007 former environmental

affairs minister Marthinus van

Schalkwyk attempted to put the

brakes on canned lion hunting.

It was widely reported that the

activity had been banned in the

country but this is not the case.

Some changes to legislation

were made but the Supreme

Court of Appeal ruled in favour

of the Predator Breeders’

Association and overturned an

attempt to enforce a two-year

waiting period during which

a captive-bred lion would

be allowed to roam freely in

an extensive wildlife system

before being hunted, which

conservationists had labeled an

attempt to “pretend that the

lion is wild”.

The environmental affairs

department did not respond to

questions by the time of going

to print.

Breeders can benefi t fi nancially a number of times from the same lion. Cubs

are often rented as tourist attractions and visitors pay to pet and interact

with them. The fee paid by visitors is then fed back into captive breeding

programmes.

7

The IUCN Red List releases

its 2012 update, adding

247 species to its threatened

categories.

Nearly 250 species have

been added to the threatened

categories—i.e. Vulnerable,

Endangered, and Critically

96 Percent of the World’s Species

Remain Unevaluated by the Red List

Endangered—in this year’s

update of the International

Union for Conservation of

Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.

The 247 additions—including

sixty bird species—pushes the

number of threatened species

globally perilously close to

20,000. However to date the

Red List has only assessed 4

percent of the world’s known

species; for the other 96

percent, scientists simply don’t

know how they are faring.

“Expanding both the number

and diversity of species

8

assessed on the IUCN Red List

is imperative if we are to have

a clear understanding of our

impact on the natural world,”

says Richard Edwards, Chief

Executive of Wildscreen, in

a press release. Wildscreen

is working with the IUCN

Red List to raise awareness of

endangered species.

This year’s list includes the

addition of East Asian snakes,

an update on the world’s bird

species, and two primates—

the Caquetá titi monkey

(Callicebus caquetensis) and

the Burmese snub-nosed

monkey (Rhinopithecus

strykeri)—added to the

Critically Endangered category,

the most severe category before

extinction.

To date the IUCN Red List

has assessed 63,837 species,

including nearly all of the

world’s birds, mammals, and

amphibians. A quarter of the

world’s mammals, 13 percent

of birds, and a shocking 41

percent of amphibians are

currently threatened with

extinction. Overall, 31 percent

of species assessed are

threatened with extinction.

Snakes and birds

Decimated by poisoning, the

white-backed vulture has been

uplisted to The 2012 update of

the IUCN Red List found that

10 percent of snake species

that are only found in East Asia

are threatened. Many of these

snake species are imperiled

by over-harvesting for food,

anti-venom, and decorative

skins. One of the world’s most

famous snakes, the king cobra

(Ophiophagus hannah) has

been listed as Vulnerable due to

habitat loss and over-harvesting

for medicine. Another well-

known Asian snake, the

Burmese python (Python

bivittatus) is also considered

Vulnerable from over-

exploitation for food and skins.

Deforestation is also imperiling

many snakes in the region.

“More than half of the snake

species identified as threatened

with extinction—57%—are at

most risk from habitat loss and

degradation. The Malaysian

island Pulau Tioman is home

to three of the Critically

Endangered reptile species—

the Pulau Tioman ground

snake, Boo-Liat’s kukri snake

and a recently described reed

snake, Oligodon booliati—

that are under threat from

development destroying the

small area of remaining forest.

This could result in their

extinction within a decade,”

explains Russell Mittermeier,

IUCN Vice President and

President of Conservation

International.

To date, the IUCN Red List

has only assessed 38 percent of

the world’s reptiles, making it

the least known of the world’s

terrestrial vertebrates. The

evaluation of East Asia’s snakes

was supported by the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service.

This year also saw updates to

the world’s 10,000-plus bird

species. The update, which

occurs every four years, found

Amazonian birds of particular

concern. Almost 100 birds in the

Amazon were upgraded from

prior assessments, meaning

they were found to be more

endangered than previously

believed. This includes such

species as the hoary-throated

spinetail (Synallaxis kollari)

which has been moved from

Endangered to Critically

Endangered, and the Rio

Branco antbird (Cercomacra

carbonaria), which has jumped

from Near Threatened to

Critically Endangered.

“We have previously

underestimated the risk of

extinction that many of

Amazonia’s bird species are

facing,” explains Leon Bennun,

Director of Science, Policy

and Information at Birdlife

International. “However, given

recent weakening of Brazilian

forest law, the situation may be

even worse than recent studies

have predicted.”

African vultures have also

taken a hit, much like their

Asian cousins, due largely to

poisoning. Both the white-

backed vulture (Gyps africanus)

and Rueppell’s Vulture (Gyps

rueppellii) has been moved

from Near Threatened to

Endangered.

Not all news out of the

update to the Red List is

bleak, however. Targeted

conservation efforts have

pushed the Rarotonga monarch

(Pomarea dimidiate) back from

the edge of extinction. Endemic

to Rarotonga Island, this bird

has been moved from Critically

Endangered to Vulnerable, but is

still dependent on conservation

action. The Restinga antwren

9

There is a reason why

the IUCN Red List

remains conservative

when announcing

extinctions, since this

year also saw two

species moved out of

the ‘Extinct’ category:

both the Hula painted

frog (Discoglossus

nigriventer) and

the wicker ancylid

(Rhodacmea fi losa), a

small snail in the U.S.

(Formicivora littoralis), native

to Brazil, has been downgraded

from Critically Endangered to

Endangered after its population

was discovered to be slightly

larger than initially estimated.

Still all of these species are in

the minority, since, unlike most

of the world’s species, they

have been evaluated by the

IUCN Red List. As of this most

recent update, 68 percent of the

world’s fish, 95 percent of the

world’s plants, 99.6 percent of

the world’s insects, and 99.97

percent of the world’ fungi have

not been assessed. The IUCN

Red List has long suffered

from underfunding and relies

heavily on volunteer work for

assessments and updates.

In 2010 researchers asked for

a $60 million dollar fund to

triple the number of species

now assessed, including

assessing 35,000 vertebrates,

38,000 invertebrates, 25,000

plants, and 14,500 fungi. The

scientists argued that such

vital assessments would create

a much-needed “barometer

of biodiversity.” To date, that

initiative has not received

backing.

Extinction and re-discovery

After missing for over 60 years,

the Hula painted frog was

rediscovered in Israel. As of

this year, the IUCN Red List

has recorded 801 extinctions

going back to 1500. This year

saw the addition of four species

to the ‘Extinct’ category: the

ovate club shell (Pleurobema

perovatum), the fish springs

marsh snail (Stagnicola

pilsbryi), and two plants from

the Democratic Republic of the

Congo: Acalypha dikuluwensis

and Basananthe cupricola, both

of which were obliterated by

surface mining for copper.

Some likely extinction,

however, have not been noted

by the IUCN Red List yet

since the organization waits

until “there is no reasonable

doubt that the last individual

has died.” For example a

paper came out this year

declaring that the Christmas

Island pipistrelle (Pipistrellus

murrayi) was extinct as of

2009; however the Red List

still considers the species as

Critically Endangered. The

Yangtze River dolphin (Lipotes

vexillifer) also remains listed as

Critically Endangered, despite

many researchers believing the

species is likely gone for good.

A 2006 search failed to find a

single dolphin.

There is a reason why the

IUCN Red List remains

conservative when announcing

extinctions, since this year

also saw two species moved

out of the ‘Extinct’ category:

both the Hula painted frog

(Discoglossus nigriventer) and

the wicker ancylid (Rhodacmea

filosa), a small snail in the U.S.,

have been moved from Extinct

to Critically Endangered

following their re-discoveries

in the wild. For its part, the

Hula painted frog had not been

seen since 1955.

Scientists have been warning

for decades that the world

could soon enter an age of

mass extinction. Given ongoing

environmental destruction

and degradation, researchers

estimate that extinctions may

be occurring at 100-1,000 times

above the natural rate as found

in fossils. The world’s species

are imperiled by deforestation,

overexploitation, overfishing,

pollution, invasive species,

habitat loss, and climate

change, among other impacts.

“The latest update to the

IUCN Red List highlights the

impacts we are having on the

world’s biodiversity, even

those species that so many

of the human population

rely on for food, medicine,

clean water, etc.,” Edwards

says. “We need to successfully

communicate the plight,

significance, value and

importance of all these species

if we are to rescue them from

the brink of extinction.”

10

4,0004,000 Wild Monkeys Saved from

Laboratory Experiments: Colombia

11

Animal Defenders

International (ADI) has

described the decision by

the Administrative Tribunal

of Cundinamarca to revoke

permits to capture wild

owl monkeys for malaria

experiments as a “breakthrough

for animal protection and

conservation”. The Tribunal

ruled that research on owl

(night) monkeys, by Manuel

Elkin Patarroyo, breached

Colombia’s commitment

to CITES (Convention

on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora).

The permits, planned to

run until 2015, would have

allowed Patarroyo to trap

4,000 primates for experiments

related to malaria vaccine at

the Institute of Immunology

Foundation of Colombia

(FIDIC).

ADI undercover investigators

secured video footage of the

laboratory’s monkey trapping

operation along the Amazon.

The ADI video shows trappers

searching the forests by night

for owl monkeys; the trees

netted and the tiny monkeys,

unable to escape, are torn

from their homes; terrified and

screaming, they are pushed into

sacks for the journey up river to

the laboratory. The team also

filmed inside FIDIC where the

monkeys are kept inside tiny

barren, metal cages, a shocking

contrast to their native forest

homes.

Jan Creamer, ADI Chief

Executive said: “We are

delighted that the Tribunal

has taken decisive action,

preventing the horrific suffering

of thousands of monkeys and

the potential devastation of

wild populations. We hope that

the next step will be to end

these cruel experiments once

and for all.”

In the ruling, the Tribunal

criticized the Ministry of

Environment for failing to

exercise controls concerning the

hunting and scientific study of

primates. It further stated that

because import permits for owl

monkeys of the species Aotus

nancymae were not required,

this fuelled a trade for these

primates, in contravention of

CITES regulations.

The Tribunal found that there

had also been a number of

anomalies in permissions

granted to Patarroyo dating

back to 1984, which included

irregularities in permit

procedures and breach of

obligations and prohibitions of

Colombia’s National Resources

Code.

As a result of the Tribunal,

disciplinary action against

officials at the Ministry of

Environment is now being

initiated. FIDIC and the

Corporation for Sustainable

Development of Southern

Amazonia (Corpoamazonia)

were also sanctioned.

Researcher Angela Maldonado,

lawyer Gabriel Vanegas and

ADI submitted evidence

to the tribunal; Angela is

Project Director of Fundacion

Entropika, whose educational

and census work with local

communities, with ADI

funding, has reduced the

hunting of owl monkeys in the

Amazon. The unique work by

ADI undercover investigators

and Angela’s study team has

assisted her work in the region

to protect owl monkeys.

Activists and lion breeders are

again at odds over “canned”

hunting - legal in SA - which

some argue is no more unethical

than farming chickens.

12

There’s some monkey business going on hereMangal Man Shakya and Lucia de Vries: Price Nrs. 100, US$ 2, Euro 1,5 ISBN: PHONIXSTUDIOS SN 0045-1

Cost of Confl ict on Nepal’s Conservation EffortsEditors: Mangal Man Shakya and Anil Chitrakar: Price Nrs. 700, US$ 10, Euro 9, ISBN:978-99946-820-1-6

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The lists of books available at Wildlife Watch Group are:

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Tirtha Man Maskey: The Tiger Warden of Chitwan

WWG: Price Nrs. 1000, US$ 15, Euro 10

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13

Civil War Endangers Myanmar’s Ailing

Tigers

Efforts to stop Myanmar’s

tigers being hunted to

extinction are under threat

from a civil war raging in a

region home to the world’s

biggest sanctuary for the

endangered cats, experts warn.

The former junta in 2010

expanded the tiger reserve

to about 8,450 square miles

(22,000 square kilometers)

— an area roughly the size

of Israel — in the remote

Hukaung Valley, where about

50-70 tigers are estimated to

remain.

But fighting over the past year

between the military and ethnic

minority rebels has hindered

efforts to prevent the animals

from being wiped out in one of

Southeast Asia’s last frontiers

for wildlife conservation.

While most of the clashes are

further east near the border

with China, the rebel Kachin

Independence Army (KIA)

controls part of the Hukaung

Valley, one of the world’s

richest biodiversity areas but

for now off limits to foreigners.

Although the KIA supported

the creation of the reserve, it is

considered too risky for guards

to venture deep into the forest

because of the conflict, which

has displaced tens of thousands

of people in Kachin state.

“It’s very difficult to patrol

actively right now,” said

Robert Tizard, an expert in

Yangon with the New York-

based Wildlife Conservation

Society, which works with the

Myanmar government to train

rangers in the reserve.

14

“Our guys wear camouflage

fatigues and have a lot of

equipment like the army or

the KIA, so if one of our teams

came across one of the armed

groups and nobody knew what

was going on the chance for an

accident is pretty high.”

Conservationists say the

valley has the potential to

hold several hundred tigers,

but rebuilding the population

requires tackling illegal

hunting of both the animals —

whose body parts are prized

for Chinese medicines — and

their prey.

“The tigers are in terrible

shape,” said Alan Rabinowitz,

chief executive of wild cat

protection group Panthera

who helped to create the

reserve but now fears the tiger

population there is in rapid

decline.

“The tiger is still valuable

and the indigenous people

there such as the Lisu and the

Kachin are very much tied into

the Chinese trade, and they’ve

been killing off tigers. I’m not

convinced frankly that we’re

going to be able to save the

tigers there. We’re going to

try because it’s a big enough

area and we know there are

still tigers in some of the more

remote regions in the far

north,” he added.

A lack of funds has been

another problem, although

a recent easing of Western

sanctions has raised hopes

that more money will become

available to pay for the patrols

needed for such a big area, the

expert said.

“You need law enforcement,

protection and guards — that’s

the number one thing,” added

Rabinowitz, who led the first

ever biological expedition in

the area in 1999.

As many as 100,000 tigers

prowled Asia’s forests and

grasslands a century ago, but

numbers have slumped mainly

because of poaching and loss

of habitat. Worldwide the wild

tiger population is thought to

have fallen as low as 3,000.

The Indochinese tiger

(Panthera tigris corbetti),

the type found in Myanmar,

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam,

Cambodia and southwest

China, is close to critically

endangered status, according

to the International Union for

Conservation of Nature.

The Hukaung Valley is said

to be one of the region’s last

closed forests — an area with

dense tree cover — and there

are hopes the reserve could also

protect other large mammals

such as clouded leopards and

Asian elephants.

Myanmar’s government says

it is committed to trying to

save the tigers and is recruiting

staff to protect the reserve. It

says surprise checks on local

markets are also deterring the

sale of wild animal meat.

“Sanctuary staff, the Tiger

Conservation Police Force

and Wildlife Conservation

Society are working together

in restricting and taking action

on hunting and penetrating

into the area,” the Nature and

Wildlife Conservation Division

said.

By hiring indigenous peoples

as guards, it is hoped that local

communities will grow to learn

about the importance of saving

the big cats.

But their value means locals

are not the only ones hunting

the animals — poachers are

also believed to come from

elsewhere in the region.

“You’re talking tens of

thousands of dollars at this

point for a tiger and it’s very

specialized work because there

are so few of them and they’re

so hard to track down,” said

Tizard.

Despite the huge challenges,

conservationists remain

hopeful that if and when

fighting ends in northern

Myanmar, the tigers in the

Hukaung Valley will be left in

peace.

“They’re big pussy cats. They

breed — if you give them

enough to eat, and if you stop

people coming in trying to

target them,” said Colin Poole,

director for the WCS in Asia.

“It’s a big chunk of habitat

perfect for tigers. They need

to just be allowed space. But

that’s not going to happen

until there’s some level of

peace there and security.”

15

Experts Report Highest Elephant

Poaching and Ivory Smuggling Rates in

a Decade

Elephant poaching levels

are the worst in a decade

and recorded ivory seizures

are at their highest levels since

1989, according to a report

published by the Convention

on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The findings, largely based

on information submitted by

governments, will be presented

and discussed at the 62nd

meeting of the CITES Standing

Committee to be held in Geneva

from 23 to 27 July 2012.

The report (PDF) analyses data

from the CITES programme on

Monitoring the Illegal Killing

of Elephants (MIKE), IUCN’s

data on the status of elephant

populations, the Elephant

Trade Information System

(ETIS) managed by TRAFFIC,

and the CITES trade database

managed by the UNEP World

Conservation Monitoring

Centre (UNEP-WCMC).

These authoritative sources of

information have shown a very

close correspondence between

trends in elephant poaching

and trends in large-scale ivory

seizures, detecting essentially

the same patterns at different

points in the illegal ivory trade

chain.

Commenting on the report,

the CITES Secretary-General,

Mr. John E. Scanlon, said:

“We need to enhance our

collective efforts across range,

transit and consumer states to

reverse the current disturbing

trends in elephant poaching

and ivory smuggling. In

particular, we need to scale up

law enforcement capacity at all

stages of the illegal ivory trade

chain.”

According to ETIS data, three

of the five years in which the

greatest volumes of ivory were

seized globally occurred in

2009, 2010 and 2011.

In 2011 alone, there were 14

large-scale ivory seizures, a

double-digit figure for the first

time in 23 years, when ETIS

records were first compiled.

They totaled an estimated 24.3

tonnes of ivory; more than in

any previous year.

Large-scale ivory seizures (those

involving >800 kg of ivory in

a single transaction), typically

indicate the participation of

organized crime.

China and Thailand are the

two primary destinations for

illegal ivory consignments

exported from Africa according

to the seizure data. Seizures of

large ivory consignments in

Malaysia, the Philippines and

Viet Nam since 2009, were

believed to be in transit to

China and Thailand.

Most of the ivory smuggling

containers leave the African

continent through Indian

Ocean seaports in East African

countries, primarily Kenya

and the United Republic of

Tanzania.

Evidence is steadily mounting

which shows that African

elephants are facing their most

serious crisis since international

commercial trade in ivory was

generally prohibited under

CITES in 1989, said Tom

Milliken, TRAFFIC’s Elephant

and Rhino Programme Leader

and the Director of ETIS.

These findings are matched

by data on poaching levels

in Africa from the CITES

MIKE programme. MIKE has

documented a steady increase

in levels of elephant poaching

across the continent since 2005,

with the levels in 2011 being

the highest since monitoring

began in 2002.

Poaching levels are increasing

in all countries where African

elephants occur, and may be

leading to dramatic declines

16

Poaching levels

are increasing in all

countries where African

elephants occur, and

may be leading to

dramatic declines in

some populations, but

particularly in Central

African countries,

where poaching levels

are highest.

in some populations, but

particularly in Central African

countries, where poaching

levels are highest. This was

brought to international

attention earlier this year by the

killing of hundreds of elephants

in Bouba Ndjida National Park

in Cameroon.

MIKE analysis shows poaching

to be highest where human

livelihoods are most insecure

and where governance and

law enforcement are weakest.

It also suggests that poaching

is driven by demand for ivory

in East Asia. The number of

African elephants poached

in 2011 alone could well run

into the tens of thousands, said

Julian Blanc, who coordinates

the MIKE programme.

Information collected by IUCN

corroborates the MIKE findings

that poaching is an immediate

danger to elephant populations

across the continent. There

are disturbing indications that

the illegal killing of elephants

has increased in recent years

in Asia too, although data are

hard to obtain.

There is a pressing need

for governments and other

stakeholders involved with

wildlife conservation to

properly assess the amount

of Asian elephant ivory that

is entering trade, said Simon

Hedges, Co-chair of the IUCN

Species Survival Commission’s

Asian Elephant Specialist

Group.

An additional pressure on Asian

elephants, also apparently

increasing, is the illegal

international commercial trade

in live wild elephants for the

circus trade in China and the

tourist trade in Thailand.

The critical situation in Africa

demonstrates the urgent need

to implement the African

Elephant Action Plan, which

was created by all African

elephant range States under the

auspices of CITES in 2010. The

plan envisages investing USD

100 million over three years

into elephant conservation

efforts, and an African Elephant

Fund was launched in August

2011 at the 61st meeting of the

CITES Standing Committee.

Having sustainable elephant

populations in Africa will

require a shared vision

and a highly strategic and

collaborative investment of

time and resources along the

entire ivory supply chain.

Without this we will all lose

what we cherish the most the

icons of Africa our elephants,

said Holly Dublin, Chair of the

IUCN/SSC African Elephant

Specialist Group, at a recent

African elephant range States

meeting.

At the international level,

creative and innovative

responses to this crisis are

required. The use of modern

traceability systems, including

DNA forensics in cases of

wildlife trafficking has already

proven to be very effective.

DNA evidence has been used

successfully in a number of

rhinoceros-related cases in

South Africa and it is routinely

forming a part of numerous

criminal investigations.

In any case, enforcement

efforts to stop wildlife

crime must not just result

in seizures, they must result

in prosecutions, convictions

and strong penalties to stop

the flow of contraband. The

whole enforcement chain must

work together. This is why the

work of the recently-established

International Consortium

to Combat Wildlife Crime

(ICCWC) is essential to support

and coordinate enforcement

actions across international

borders.

17

More than 200 people were

arrested and two tons of

ivory seized — along with guns,

lion pelts, rhino horns and live

birds — in the largest operation

against wildlife smugglers to

date, Interpol announced. As

sizable as the numbers are,

though, the real test will be

whether Africa finally sees a

drop in the record slaughter of

elephants and rhinos.

The three-month operation

ranged across 17 African

countries as well as China,

where officials cracked down

on websites and stores selling

ornaments made from ivory,

the trade for which is banned

globally.

“The intelligence gathered

during Operation Worthy will

enable us to identify the links

between the poachers and the

global networks driving and

facilitating the crime,” David

Higgins, head of Interpol’s

environmental crime program,

said in a statement.

The International Fund for

Animal Welfare helped Interpol

by training officers in African

countries, and said it also

Interpol: 200200 Arrested in Biggest

Crackdown on Elephant Slaughter

provided leads that allowed

China to uncover 700 cases of

illegal wildlife trade.

Just days after Rock Center

aired Harry Smith’s report,

“The Last Stand,” on the

growing epidemic of illegal

rhino poaching in South Africa,

three of the rhinos featured in

the report were attacked by

poachers.

China “busted 13 gangs,

punished 1,031 illegal traders,

seized over 130,000 wild

animals and their animal

products,” IFAW said in a

statement, adding that 7,155

shops and 628 websites selling

banned animals were shut

down.

Still, the two tons of ivory

seized is just a fraction of what’s

smuggled each year.

Last year, a record 23 tons

of ivory were confiscated --

which means many more got

smuggled out of Africa. Those

23 tons probably represent

some 2,500 elephants, the

international monitoring

group TRAFFIC said in a

statement.

18

12yr Jail for Killing Tiger, Elephant

19

Bangladesh Parliament

has passed the Wildlife

(Protection) Act-2012,

mandating 12 years of

imprisonment for killing a tiger

or an elephant.

Junior Minister for land

Mostafizur Rahman on behalf

of the Environment Minister

in Dhaka raised the bill in

which 1,307 species of plants

and animals have been brought

under protection.

The bill was raised in parliament

on Aug 23 last year.

“Wildlife is crucial in keeping

the environment in balance.

For lack of proper protection,

many species have become

extinct and many others are

on the verge of extinction,”

Environment Minister Hasan

Mahmud said explaining the

purpose of the bill.

“Rhinoceros, wild buffalo,

Nilgai, swamp deer, wild goat

and many other species have

already become extinct. We

have identified eight species

of amphibians, 58 species of

reptiles, 41 species of birds

and 40 species of mammals

as endangered in accordance

with the IUCN Red Data Book

(2000),” Hasan said.

“Anyone purchasing wild

animals, parts of wild animals,

trophies, meat or other

products without licence will

be sentenced to three years of

jail and Tk 200,000 fine or

both.”

Anyone killing a tiger or an

elephant would face two to

seven years of jail and Tk

100,000 to Tk 1 million fine or

both. Repeat offenders would

be jailed for 12 years and fined

Tk 1.5 million, specifies the act.

Anyone killing cheetahs,

clouded cheetahs, gibbons,

sambar deer, crocodiles, gavials,

whales or dolphins would be

sentenced to five years of jail

and Tk 200,000 fine.

Killing wild birds or migratory

birds will result in two years of

jail and Tk 200,000 fine.

Under the act, any state-owned

forest land, land or water-body

can be turned into an eco-park,

safari park, botanical garden or

breeding grounds. Such land

can also be declared reserve

land by gazettes. Farming,

woodcutting, burning and

construction will be prohibited

on forest reserves and violators

can be jailed for up to two

years.

The act identifies 32 species

of amphibian, 154 species of

reptile, 113 species of mammal,

52 species of fish, 32 species of

coral, 137 species of mollusk,

22 species of crustacean, 24

species of insect, six species of

rodent, 41 species of plant and

13 species of orchid.

Wildlife is crucial

in keeping the

environment in

balance. For lack of

proper protection, many

species have become

extinct and many

others are on the verge

of extinction

20

At the start of the 1980s

there were over a million

elephants, during that decade

600,000 were destroyed for

ivory products. Today perhaps

no more than 400,000 remain

across Africa, according

to Samuel Wasser of the

University of Washington,

who is widely recognized as

an authority on the subject. It

is a tragedy beyond reckoning

and humanity needs to pay

attention to the plight of the

elephants before it is too late.

Will Elephants Still Roam Earth In 20

Years?

In the last few years an epic

surge in poaching has resumed

the killing thanks to the

penchant for ivory in the Asian

market and especially in China

where ivory is now selling for

over $1500 a killo.

Recently Julius Kipng’etich,

the head of the Kenya Wildlife

service, made a plea at the Library

of Congress in Washington DC

in an unprecedented appeal

for the world to save Kenya’s

and Africa’s elephants from

the plague of poaching that

has in recent years seen the

decimation of tens of thousands

of elephants.

It is an appeal that follows

from Kenya’s determination to

torch about ten tons of ivory

last July near Tsavo National

Park in a show of disdain for

the destroyers of elephants and

disgust at the resumption of

poaching. If this level of killing

continues, if elephants continue

to be slaughtered for trinkets

21

and statuettes, in ten years

time, most of Africa’s elephants

will be gone and an ineffable

symbol of majesty and wonder

and the lynch pin in the ecology

of an entire continent will have

been consigned to oblivion.

The recent Senate Hearing in

Washington DC called Ivory

and Insecurity -- The Global

Implications of Poaching

in Africa underscores the

significance of this issue.

For while wildlife is at stake,

Dr. Ian Douglas Hamilton,

founder of Save the elephants,

and John Scanlon the Secretary

General of the Convention

on International Trade in

Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES)

and Senator John Kerry,

underscored not only the

implications of elephant and

wildlife poaching, but also the

criminal syndicates who make

billions on the illegal wildlife

trade and its impact on local

populations in Africa, global

security and even terrorism.

An urgent and concerted

international will is needed

to fund law enforcement to

protect what remains of the

elephant population of the

world.

Growth in human population is

a major concern. Millennial old

elephant migration paths have

been disrupted. Climate change

is a menace to the elephant and

all life.

But the wanton shooting of

the innocents to satisfy vanity

has reached a level of madness

no-one can ignore, perhaps

made most clearly in the recent

destruction of 400 elephants in

the Central African Republic

by armed militia from Sudan.

At the start of the 1980’s there

were over a million...Today

perhaps no more than 400,000

remain across the continent.

The killing of elephants is not

just a wildlife issue. The world

now understands that it is a

global issue. Not long ago The

UK’s Independent newspaper

proclaimed that the loss of

biodiversity was the greatest

threat to humanity.

How amidst NATO’s missile

defense problems in Europe, a

possible nuclear Iran and the

economic failings of modern

nations, unemployment and

inflation, can the future of the

elephant be so urgent?

It is not on the radar of the

media nor is it a priority for

most people. The answer comes

from our ability to affirm life in

its moral, ethical and I would

urge humanity to consider, in

its spiritual dimensions.

The elephant helped us walk

out of Africa perhaps 60,000

years ago. We learned from

tribal elders in east Africa

that elephants, because they

knew where to find water,

helped humanity survive. It

was alongside them that we

populated the New World.

They are central to our

evolution. Elie Wiesel of the

Foundation for Humanity

has even said that to save the

elephant is “an urgent moral

imperative.”

In Nagoya Japan in 2010,

world environmental ministers

agreed on a global strategy to

combat the loss of biodiversity.

Those countries in Asia that are

the driving force behind the

mutilation of the greatest land

mammal on terrestrial ground

must join the battle to save

the elephant in Africa and the

elephant in Asia and the planet’s

other endangered fauna such as

the rhino and tiger and all the

other species that are being

so ruthlessly ransacked . In so

doing they will save face.

In a society fixated on growth

and money, the TEEB, (the

Economics of Ecosystems

and Biodiversity) has plainly

demonstrated the irreplaceable

value of biodiversity which

yearly provides trillions

of dollars of value. The

forests, oceans, whales and

elephants of the world must

now enter the balance sheet

of ultimate consideration.

We have reached the point

as a global civilization where

we must fight for life and the

meaning of life and much of

that stands in the body of the

elephant, and other fellow

species, the forests and the

oceans of the world. This battle

must not be lost. Elephants are

one of the pillars of existence.

We must never tell nor have to

tell the children- “This is where

the wild things were.”

22

India Lost 48 Tigers in 22 Weeks

23

India’s tiger fatalities are rising

steadily. The country has lost

48 tigers in the last 22 weeks.

The largest number of tigers

has been killed in the premier

Corbett National Park in

Uttarakhand and in the Tadoba

Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

The National Tiger

Conservation Authority

(NTCA) has confirmed that

19 of these deaths are clear-cut

cases of poaching but wildlife

experts claim poaching deaths

could be much higher.

Tiger deaths reported in 2011

were 56 while the number of

deaths reported in 2011 was

52.

A sharp rise in poaching has

created a situation where Mr.

SP Yadav, deputy inspector

general of the NTCA, admits

that “Tiger reserve states are

now afraid to report mortality

of a tiger. But in order to ensure

that all deaths do get reported,

we now insist that someone

from NTCA will be present for

the post-mortem (of a tiger).”

On May 15, minister of

environment Jayanti Natarajan

had disclosed that India had

lost 32 tigers in the last five

months. The last three weeks

have seen tiger deaths rise

by another startling sixteen

in number. Mr. Yadav admits

that one of the NTCA’s biggest

weaknesses has been in the

field of intelligence gathering.

“Intelligence gathering is the

backbone of anti-poaching

activities. Delay in reaction

allows the poacher to get the

upper hand,” he said.

The NTCA has mooted the

setting up of an anti-poaching

force with Karnataka being

the first state to put this into

practice. The National Tiger

Conservation Authority has

launched a detailed security

plan for these tiger reserves

and already thermal cameras

have been operationalized in

the southern part of Corbett

National Park. “We are

launching an e-Eye, which is

a 24x7 IT-based surveillance

system across several tiger

reserves,” Mr Yadav added.

The situation is spinning out

of control because of the rising

demand for tiger parts across

Asia. The Dudhwa tiger reserve

lies on the Indo-Nepal border on

the foothills of the Himalayas.

24

Animal Attraction: World’s Rhino

Conservationists Gather in China to Call

for an End to Illegal Rhino Horn Trade

25

Wildlife experts and

conservationists from

China, South Africa, the United

States and the United Kingdom,

including representatives from

Humane Society International/

UK, gathered in Beijing

yesterday to call for urgent

action from China to help

save the world’s rhinos from

poaching. Hundreds of rhinos

are poached for their horns

every year largely to supply

the Asian traditional medicine

market.

The Rhinos in Crisis conference, organized by Beijing’s Capital Animal Welfare Association with the support of Humane Society International, is one of the largest gatherings of international rhino conservationists ever held within China. Their message to China: Rhinos are being poached out of existence, and Chinese consumers’ demand for rhino horn must end.

“Rhino poaching has reached a crisis point with animals being brutally slaughtered in huge numbers to supply horn for the Asian medicine trade. It’s vital that China takes urgent action to eradicate consumer and business demand for horn which has no scientifically

established medicinal benefit whatsoever,” said Mark Jones, executive director of HSI/UK. “China is a crucial partner in the global battle to save this endangered and iconic animal from extinction. If it doesn’t act now, this species is unlikely to survive the crisis. That would be tragedy for the whole world.” Rhino poaching has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2007 there was a global average of 12 poaching incidents reported annually. By 2011 in South Africa alone, 448 rhinos were killed for their horn and predictions are that around 600 rhinos will have been killed by the end of 2012. There are now fewer than 30,000 rhinos in Africa and Asia combined and four of the five surviving rhino species are listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List as threatened with extinction. Demand for rhino horn in Asia has reached new heights following unsubstantiated claims that a Vietnamese official was cured of cancer by using rhino horn. Reports suggest that rhino horn is selling for up to $65,000 per kg on the black market.

“Rhinos die from massive blood loss, pain and shock after their horns are hacked off by the poachers. The few that survive endure months of painful treatment,” said William Fowlds, wildlife vet and chairman of the Association of Eastern Cape Private Nature Reserves. “We are certain that the Chinese people would not want to be associated with this barbarity, and we urge them to assist us in the fight to stop the poaching.” Unscrupulous poachers show no mercy even for infant rhinos. They are either killed for their tiny stump of horn, or left traumatized after witnessing the slaughter of their mothers. “We know that Chinese people care about animals too, and we’re desperately hoping that by communicating to them the impact that rhino horn consumption is having on our precious rhino, they will respond quickly and with compassion, as they have often done before,” said Karen Trendler, co-ordinator of the Rhino Response Strategy in South Africa, which rescues calves orphaned by the poaching.

26

Authorities have seized

various species of

endangered birds in Barangay

Puntabaja, Sitio Balite, Rial,

Palawan, Phillipines.

According to Palawan

Maritime Police, several cages

containing 180 Philippine

green parrots (Tanygnathus

lucionensis) or “pikoy,” 2

hill mynas and 2 horn bills

were recovered in separate

Rare Parrots, Myna Birds Seized in

Palawan

locations in the forests of Brgy.

Puntabaja.

Some of the cages were also

found in a hut believed to be

owned by a certain Ghaven San

Juan.

San Juan was arrested and

may face multiple charges for

keeping the endangered species.

He said he will cooperate with

police in the arrest of other

members of the group.

Authorities estimate the

confiscated birds to amount

to P220,000. They suspect

that the birds were about to be

shipped to Batangas when it

was discovered.

The birds were turned over to

the care of the Palawan Wildlife

Rescue and Conservation

Center.

27

Sl Hosts Inaugural Wildlife Regional

Meeting

The South Asian Wildlife

Enforcement Network –

SAWEN began its inaugural

regional meeting at Jetwing

Lagoon, Negombo inaugurated

by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa,

Minister of Environment.

Focusing on the key issue of

combating illegal trade of

wildlife and bio-resources in the

South Asian region, the event

was hosted by The Department

of Wildlife Conservation of

Sri Lanka (DWC) the national

focal point for SAWEN, in

conjunction with the SAWEN

Secretariat.

In order to combat illegal trade

of wildlife and bio-resources

in the South Asian region an

experts group was formed

in May 2010. Following the

second meeting of the South

Asia Experts Group on Illegal

Wildlife Trade, held at Paro

Bhutan in 2011, the South

Asian Wildlife Enforcement

28

Network – SAWEN was

formally launched. At the

meeting members unanimously

decided that the inaugural

meeting of the SAWEN should

be held in Sri Lanka.

The meeting held from 3rd

- 6th of June 2012 consists

of technical and interactive

sessions providing a forum

for delegates from all SAARC

countries, INTERPOL, World

Customs Organization,

UNODC, the World Bank, the

CITES Management Authority

of China, the US Department

of State, TRAFFIC and the

World Wide Fund for Nature

(WWF) to network and share

effective knowledge and

information.

Mr. Ranjan Marasinghe,

Deputy Director, Department

of Wildlife Conservation said:

“The main goal of this Experts

Group Meeting is to strengthen

our regional co-operation in

combating illegal trade of fauna

and flora, and to implement

this regional network to

prioritize such actions on

wildlife law enforcement.

Sri Lanka is a party to the

Convention of International

Trade in Endangered Species

of Wild Fauna and Flora

(CITES) and the Department

of Wildlife Conservation is the

management authority to the

Convention. I would especially

like to mention about the

support rendered by the

Government of Sri Lanka, and

the US Department of State for

the funding support provided

through a grant to TRAFFIC.”

A number of potential activities

are identified for SAWEN’s

work programme in terms

of regional law enforcement

responses. These include

addressing information,

capacity and technical gaps;

and how to address illegal

exploitation and trade of

endangered species in the

region. The programme

promotes implementation of

national wildlife protection

laws and international treaties

such as CITES, with the long-

term goal of reducing illegal

wildlife trade in South Asia

through the dismantlement

of the region’s major wildlife

trafficking networks.

Engagement with other

countries such as China and

the US will also help to address

issues of co-operation and

demand reduction regarding

illegal wildlife trade.

Aside from the sheer awe

factor of catching the first-

ever glimpse of a mother and

cub inside a den, these findings

are incredibly important for

snow leopard conservation.

As few as 4,000 snow leopards

may be left in the wild and

the Snow Leopard Trust is

working hard to improve

protection for the cats.

However, due to their elusive

nature, very little is known

about snow leopards in the

wild. Birth rates, sex ratios,

cub sizes, litter sizes and cub

survival rates have never been

documented but are critical

to understanding—and

planning for—the survival

of the species. Follow-up

assessment of cub survival

will enable the Snow Leopard

Trust to clarify the potential

for snow leopard populations

to grow and recover from

declines.

This long-term snow leopard

study in Mongolia’s South

Gobi is a joint project with

Snow Leopard Conservation

Fund and Panthera, and

is in cooperation with the

Mongolia Ministry of Nature,

Environment and Tourism

and the Mongolia Academy

of Sciences.

Cont. from page 40

The programme promotes implementation of national wildlife protection laws and international treaties such as CITES, with the long-term goal of reducing illegal wildlife trade in South Asia through the dismantlement of the region’s major wildlife traffi cking

networks.

29

Indonesia Declared an International

Rhino “Emergency”

30

At the urging of conservation

groups worldwide,

President Susilo Yudhoyono of

Indonesia declared yesterday

to be the start of “International

Year of the Rhino”, mainly

to ensure the survival of two

critically-threatened Asian

rhino species.

Rhinos have walked the Earth

for more than 50 million years

but the total remaining number

of Javan rhinos has sunk to

fewer than 50 animals, while

only about 200 Sumatran

rhinos are still alive.

While the Indonesian

president’s primary concern

was to ensure the immediate

survival of two of the five

remaining rhino species

internationally, Yudhoyono said

he hoped all rhino range states

in Africa and Asia would take

similar action to protect rhinos

worldwide from poaching by

international crime syndicates.

“Strong and clear political

messages from the highest

possible levels are required to

combat the illegal killing and

trade in rhino and the message

from President Yudhoyono

is loud and clear,” said John

Scanlon secretary-general of the

Convention on International

Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES).

“We hope that this bold

initiative from Indonesia will

serve as a catalyst for further

high-level political support and

commitments to protect rhino

in the wild across all states

concerned.”

The declaration follows the

killing of another two white

rhinos in the Hluhluwe-

Umfolozi Park in KwaZulu-

Natal last week, bringing the

death toll in South Africa to

well over 230 rhinos in the first

five months of this year.

Yolan Friedman, head of the

Joburg-based Endangered

Wildlife Trust said the illegal

trade in wildlife and wildlife

products was now the third-

largest form of illegal trade

in the world after drugs and

human trafficking.

She said her organisation was

proud to be working closely

with several organizations

which had called for the Year of

the Rhino, in acknowledgement

of “this international crisis”.

Tom Milliken, a senior official

of the global wildlife trade

monitoring network TRAFFIC,

said the dramatic surge in

rhino poaching was no longer

due solely to demand from

traditional Chinese medicine.

“The demand we are seeing

now is linked with increased

demand in Asia, particularly

among wealthy elites and

business people in Vietnam,

where (rhino horn) carries

prestige as a luxury item, as

a post-partying (hangover)

cleanser and also as a purported

cancer cure,” said Milliken.

Scaled up

“It is critical that Africa’s

law enforcement efforts are

significantly scaled up and

linked with enforcement and

demand reduction efforts in

consumer markets in Asia. We

will only win this war if both

sides align against the criminal

syndicates behind this trade.”

President Yudhoyono’s

declaration was welcomed by

a wide variety of international

conservation and scientific

networks in statements issued

yesterday.

Susie Ellis, executive director

of the International Rhino

Foundation warned that the

threats to the survival of rhinos

had increased dramatically over

the past few years.

“This species has walked the

Earth for more than 50 million

years but there is now the very

real possibility of extinction

within our lifetime.”

The campaign will include

intensive breeding programmes

in zoos across the world and

other international fund-

raising efforts to improve law

enforcement and education.

“We hope that this bold

initiative from Indonesia

will serve as a catalyst

for further high-level

political support and

commitments to protect

rhino in the wild across

all states concerned.”

31

13 Blue Sheep and 6 Wild goats killed

3 June, Dhorpatan. Twenty

five wild animals including 13

Blue Sheep, 6 Wild goat and 3

Ratuwa were killed from only

hunting reserve of the country,

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

Last season, a famous hunter

killed these animals with the

permission from Department

of National Park and Wildlife

Reserve.

According to the statistics of

hunting reserve, this season

Russian hunters, Artum Bossov

and Arton Rokkanov both

hunted one Wild goat from

Sundaha block and other

Russian hunters Palvet and

Andre Sukasin each hunted one

Blue Sheep in Dogadi block.

Similarly, Australian citizen

W. Fecken Samar hunted Blue

Sheep and Wild goat and Denis

citizen Cristian Sabarg hunted

one Wild goat in Fagune block.

In Seng and Barse block, a

Canadian hunter hunted one

Blue Sheep and Wild goat,

three American hunters hunted

3 Blue Sheep and 1 Wild goat,

Mexican hunter and Belgium

hunter each hunted one Blue

Sheep separately.

Six professional hunting

organizations like Nepal

Hunting Safari, Nepal Wildlife

Adventure, Himalayan Safari,

Nepal Wildlife Safari, Trek and

Trail etc collected professional

hunters from different parts of

the world to hunt in Dhorpatan

Hunting Reserve. These foreign

hunters pay large amount

of royalty to Department of

National Park and Wildlife

Reserve. “This season

professional hunters hunted

25 wild animals including 13

Blue Sheeps and 6 Wild goats

and last season (Ashoj/Kartik)

they hunted 13 Blue Sheeps”,

said Ranger of Dhorpatan

Hunting Reserve, “Tourists

are more interested to hunt in

Fagune, Barse and Surtibang

blocks as they are places easy

for hunting. So, yearly quota

has been allocated for hunting

in these blocks”.

Blue Sheep is the major

attraction of Dhorpatan

Hunting Reserve. In the census

conducted in 2064, the reserve

recorded only 852 Blue Sheep.

Wild goat were even less in

number counting to 200 only.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve is

the habitat for 32 species of wild

animals like Snow Leopard,

Wolves, Himalayan Black Bear

and Red Panda. Ashoj-Kartik

and Falgun- Chaitra are the

months suitable for hunting.

32

Leopard found

Two arrested with Pangolin

It is restricted to hunt Snow

Leopard, Deer, Tharal, Ghoral,

Bear, Wild Boar, Himalayan

Black Bear and Barking Deer

in DHR. However, there are

increasing records of illegal

hunting and poaching of wild

animals in Dhorpatan Hunting

Reserve. There are 130 species

of birds in DHR.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve

which lies within foot hills of

Dhaulagiri Himalayan range

is located in Rukum, Myagdi

and Baglung districts. It covers

an area of 325 Sq. Km. It was

established in 2040 B.S. and got

designated as hunting reserve

in 2044 B.S. There are seven

blocks in DHR namely Seng,

Sundaha, Surtibang, Barse,

Dogari, Fagune and Gustang

where hunting is allowed.

Hunting of Blue Sheep and

Wild goat is restricted in

Surtibang block.

8 June, Pokhara. Local people

of Lekhnath -2, Pragatitol

submitted a leopard to the

police which was found in shed

near a house. Jham Bahadur

Gurung and Bum Bahadur

Gurung were injured while

capturing a leopard. Leopard

was found in a buffalo shed

of Hosiyar Singh Gurung at

around 6 in the morning. It

was captured and submitted to

police station in Sisuwa, Dada

ko Naak. Police has submitted

that leopard to District Forest

Office, Kaski.

Around 3 years old leopard was

released in Pumdivumdi jungle

that lies in the middle of Kaski

and Syangja, said Ram Chandra

Dhungana, army personnel.

Illegal hunting and trade has

reduced the prey population of

wild animals because of which

they enter into the village in

search of prey, said Deewakar

Pathak, DFO of District Forest

Office, Kaski. He also added

leopard specially likes dogs.

Before this, several incidents

of leopard entering into the

urban areas of Kaski have

occurred. On 7 Poush, a

leopard entered into a house in

a very busy area of Newroad.

15 days after that leopard was

found in the commercial area,

Mahendrapul. In between these

events, two juvenile leopards

were found which were later

found dead.

9 June, Phidim. District Police

Station, Panchthar arrested

two people with endangered

Pangolin. According to DSP,

Binod Silwal, police arrested

those people while cross

checking the bus Me1Kha2139.

Together with Pangolin, bus

33

Critically endangered eight species of bird

Arrested with Pangolin shells

Fisherman died from tiger’s attack

driver Kumar Tamang and

assistant driver Mahendra

Baskota of Panchthar, Amarpur

are arrested. According to

police, they have carried the

Pangolin that was found in

Muskan Chowk in Phidim

market. Police has submitted

the Pangolin, bus, bus driver

and assistant driver to District

Forest Office, Panchthar.

10 June, Kathmandu. Among

birds that are found in Nepal,

eight species are critically

endangered. According to

an organization, Himalayan

Nature that has been working

for the bird conservation

in Nepal, increasing human

population and excessive use

of natural resources are prime

reasons for the decline in bird’s

population. This has been

mentioned in a report published

by Himalayan Nature in

association with IUCN, Nepal.

According to the publication,

the critically endangered birds

are Gulafi Tauke Hans, Dev

Hans, Kharmajur, Dangar

Giddha, Sun Giddha, Sano

Khairo Giddha and Thulo Ban

Bakulla.

According to Dr. Hem

Sagar Baral, Chief Technical

Advisor of Himalayan Nature,

among 871 species of birds

of Nepal, IUCN has enlisted

Sano Kharmujur, Utkroshi

Phyalphyale, Rajgarud,

Seto Giddha and Top Baj as

endangered bird species.

Similarly, 22 species of birds are

enlisted as vulnerable species.

According to Baral, Sim Titra,

Chir Kalij, Homrai, Saras,

Kalikantha Saras, Ban Chaha,

Jhanjhar Chiuwa, Boksi Chil,

Jibahar Mahachil, Ranmatta

Mahachi, Bhudiphor Garud,

Kashmiri Arjunak, Seto Kanthe

Ghipsi, Kanse Ghansechari,

Narkat Bhyakur, Sunaulo

Topchara, Terai Badar Chari,

Khadai Bhyakur, Lampuchhre

Hans, Bagale Bagedi, Laghu

Mahachil and Raj Lahache

are recognized as vulnerable

species.

Among them, Homrai and

Terai Badar Chas have already

been extinct from Nepal. Illegal

hunting and trade as well as

wide use of Diclofenac as a

medicine for cattle are reasons

for the declining population

of birds of Nepal, said Baral.

According to him, IUCN has

released a fact that among the

birds in the world, this year

1313 species of birds are found

to have problems with their

survival. According to IUCN,

there are 10,000 species of

birds in the world.

11 June, Banepa. Police has

arrested Rajesh KC of Kushadevi

4 with Pangolin shells. Nearly

one kg of Pangolin shells was

found while checking his bang.

He was then taken in custody

said Police Inspector Khem

Prasad Acharya of Illaka Prahari

Karyalaya, Banepa. KC will be

submitted to District Forest

Office for necessary actions

according to Forest Act.

11 June, Nawalparasi. A

person was killed from the

tiger’s attack while collecting

asparagus in Chitwan National

Park. According to a local

person Ganesh Bote, 40

years old Hiralal Majhi of

Dibyapuri-7, Punarbas was

killed in Giddeni Post near

Narayani River in Sikaraula

Buffer zone area. He was

searched by using elephant.

His dead body was left after

sucking blood by the tiger in

Sikaraula Buffer zone area.

34

Villagers killed juvenile elephant

Rare Blue bull conserved in community forest

14 June, Ithari. Village

Development Community

Forest User Group of Bayerban

of Morang has been conserving

one blue bull since last two

years. This CFUG has been

declared as ‘Model CFUG in

Eastern Nepal’ by conserving

critically endangered Blue

bull in their forest. Occupying

800 hectares of land area, this

community forest was handed

over to the community in

2063 BS. Working according

to its own action plan, this

community forest is aimed

to be developed as Bluebull

Conservation Area in the

future, said Hari Prasad Poudel,

President of CFUG committee.

13 June, Bahundangi. Villagers

of Bahundangi 2, Jhapa killed a

juvenile elephant by attacking

with an axe. They have killed

an elephant that was just one

and half year old saying that

elephants have created a lot of

havoc in their village.

Everyday, around 100 to 200

elephants enter Bahundangi

from Indian forests. Villagers

killed juvenile elephant that

was left from its group. An

attack with an axe has left

elephant with a deep wound

in its right thigh. Elephant

has died after travelling 150

meters from the place where

it was attacked. However,

local people have claimed

that it was died by striking on

sharp edge of bamboo shoot.

National Parks and Wildlife

Conservation Act 2029 does

not allow killing an elephant.

“It seems that elephant has

been killed by attacking with

sharp weapon”, said Bishnu

Bhandari, District Forest

Officer. According to the Act,

there is a provision of jail

sentence of 5 to 15 years and

the penalty of NRs. 50000 to

100000.

According to the villagers,

killing juvenile elephant

would reduce menace created

by elephants. Villagers killed

one juvenile elephant last

year as well using electric

current. According to Nature

Conservation Society, since

two decades 9 elephants are

being killed in Bahundangi.

Most of the elephants are

killed using electric current

or by attacking with sharp

weapon.

Everyday hundreds of

elephants enter into the village

to eat crops of villagers. During

last one and half months, crops

in more than hundred hectares

of land have been destroyed by

elephants.

Since last twenty years, 16

people have been killed by

the attack of elephants in

Bahundangi and 41 people

have been killed throughout

the district. According to

Nature Conservation Society,

every year elephants destroy

50 houses and crops planted in

1300 hectares of land.

According to him, two years ago

Armed Police of Morangrangeli

and Tankisinubari rescued one

Blue bull which were about to

35

Killed in elephant attack

New elephant in Wildlife Reserve

17 June, Parsa. Two new

elephants are being added on

Hatti sar at Amlekhgunj in Parsa

Wildlife Reserve. Six years old

elephants named as Narayangaj

and Chitrasenkali are brought

to Parsa Wildlife Reserve

from Chitwan National Park’s

office at Kasara. Chitrasenkali

was brought after the death

of Menakakali. Narayangaj is

sent. According to Technical

Assistant, Hari Bartaula, there

are now 11 elephants in place

of 10 elephants. The population

of elephants is increasing in

Elephant Breeding Center in

Kasari.

16 June, Dharan. A 60 years

old Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha,

a resident of Panchkanya 2,

Tallo Panbari was killed by

wild elephant attack. He was

attacked outside his house

when he was sitting under the

tree at around 9 pm. Half a

dozen of elephants which have

come from Charkose jhadi near

Panchkanya have caused havoc

since four days in Panmari area,

said Former President, Ramesh

Basnet.

be killed by the people. Thus

rescued Blue bull were handed

over to this CFUG. Since then,

these Blue bull have been

protected in this community

forest.

Blue bull resembles domestic

cow to great extent. However,

it has sharp horn than domestic

cow. Its excreta are similar to

that of goats. It fears to new

people. Last year this pair of

Blue bull has given birth to a

calf, but it could not survive.

Bluebull is hardly seen even in

dense forest of eastern Nepal.

Conserving Bluebull would

benefit community forest in the

future as it could be developed

as a touristic center. According

to the Poudel, they are now

focused in increasing the

population of Bluebull in their

forest.

Arrested with Musk deer

18 June, Mustang. A person is

arrested with Musk deer from

Hiukharka near Lete VDC.

51 years old Rana Tamang

who is resident of Dhol VDC,

Dhading was arrested by

Regional Police Office. Lete.

He was arrested while he

was returning Dhading from

Jomsom through Myagdi.

While checking his bag, 9 gm

hairs, head of a fetus and a

part of a leg of Musk deer was

found, said Assistant Police

Officer, Madhav Poudel. Bones

of birds were also confiscated

from his bag. According to

him, this is the season for

36

Nepal launches drones to combat poachers

20 June. Conservationists in

Nepal are to send drone aircraft

into the skies in the battle to

save the Himalayan nation’s

endangered tigers and rhinos

from poachers.

WWF Nepal said it had

successfully tested two

unmanned “conservation

drones” earlier this month

in Chitwan National Park,

in Nepal’s southern plains,

the home of a number of the

world’s rarest animals.

The remote-controlled aircraft,

being used for the first time

in Nepal, would monitor

the animals and poachers

via cameras and GPS to

capture images and video, the

organization said in a statement

earlier this week.

The aircraft, with a two-metre

(6.5-foot) wing span and a

range of 25 kilometres (15.5

miles), can stay in the air for 45

minutes, flying at an altitude of

up to 200 metres.

“WWF Nepal has been

introducing new science and

technology to aid ongoing

conservation efforts in Nepal.

The conservation drones are

the latest addition,” said Anil

Manandhar, the organization’s

representative in Kathmandu.

“We believe that this

technology will be instrumental

in monitoring Nepal’s flagship

species and curbing illegal

wildlife trade.”

Thousands of tigers and

greater one-horned rhinos,

also known as the Indian

rhinoceros, once roamed

Nepal and northern India but

their numbers plunged over the

last century due to poaching

and human encroachment on

their habitat.

Rhinos are killed for their

horns, which are prized for their

reputed medicinal qualities

in China and Southeast Asia,

while tiger skins, meat and

bones are also in high demand.

Cordyceps collection. Many

people from different parts of

the country come to collect

Cordyseps and they may

transport illegal goods along

with them. So, security has

been tightened said Poudel.

Tamang was also involved in

Cordyceps collection. It has

been suspected that he has

killed Musk deer in Hiukharka

near Dhaulagiri base camp.

However, Tamang has claimed

that he has collected the parts

of dead Musk deer.

37

Smuggling of pangolin body parts unabated

27 June, Sindhupalchowk.

Smuggling of the body parts

of pangolin, an endangered

species, to China continues

unabated, despite stringent

security checks along the route

to the Chinese border.

Police arrested a person in

possession of huge quantity

of pangolin body parts from

Khokundol Bazaar along the

Araniko Highway. Dinesh

Roka, 25 of Barhabishe-6

Sindhupalchowk was arrested

for possessing 50 kg scales at 10

pm night. This is the first time

that the police have seized such

a huge quantity of pangolin

body parts being smuggled to

China.

“We arrested him while he

was waiting for customer,”

Inspector Bishwa Karki said.

Khokundol Bazaar is very close

to the China border. Police said

Rokka, a retailer of Chinese

mobile phones, has long been

involved in the smuggling of

pangolin body parts.

According to Karki, Rokka has

admitted to having smuggled

pangolin body parts to China

several times in the past. In his

statement to the police, Rokka

said he bought pangolin scales

in Ilam and Taplejung.

“There is a huge demand for

pangolin body parts in China.

The prospect looked lucrative

and I started smuggling

pangolin body parts to China,”

Rokka said.

He also revealed that

pangolin scales are brought

to Kathmandu from Ilam and

Taplejung on bus. Passenger

buses charge Rs 1, 000 to

transport per kg of scales. He

also disclosed that there are

several other groups involved

in smuggling of pangolin body

parts.

Police said Rokka will be

handed over to the District

Forest Office (DFO) for

prosecution.

38

Welcome to all of you – and

thank you very much for

joining us today.

Four years on, the Global

Tiger Initiative has changed

the conversation about tiger

conservation. As I think all of

you know, in 2008, the World

Bank Group, the Smithsonian

Institution, the GEF, and the

International Tiger Coalition

came together because wild

tigers were falling dangerously

close to extinction. We knew

we had to create a sense of

urgency because tigers were

disappearing. And we knew

saving the tiger had to be a

global challenge – an alliance

of strong local commitment

across the 13 tiger range

countries, but also backed by

deep international support.

Through the Global Tiger

Initiative, we’ve been able to

create a platform for building

both a joint vision, but also

implementing coordinated

action. And through that

cooperative movement we were

able to tee up the St. Petersburg

Tiger Summit in 2010 – an

historic program that endorsed

the program for recovery.

At last, there are some glimmers

of hope for the tiger and the

Speech of former President of World Bank Robert B Zoellick

Global Tiger Initiative – Outcomes and

Challenges: High-Level Event at the

World Bank Remarks by President Robert B. Zoellick

biodiversity it represents. The

GTI is working as a powerful

instrument of change –

spurring both local and global

innovation. At the local level,

Keshav has already described

many of the tiger range

countries’ accomplishments

and their ambitious plans for

the future. You can see more

of that in the implementation

report that we’re issuing this

morning.

At the global level, Smart Green

Infrastructure is helping to

include priority tiger habitats

into land and infrastructure

planning; the Wildlife Premium

Initiative gives value to forest

wildlife and provides incentives

to help protect endangered

animals. And vitally important,

the International Consortium

for Combating Wildlife Crime

– a cooperative effort by five

International agencies with

wildlife law enforcement – is

supporting the tiger range

countries in their daily fight

against organized wildlife

crime.

One of the most exciting new

developments is the one that

Karin mentioned, the idea of

bringing together this effort

with the private sector, which

can bring us new ideas and new

resources through IFC and the

GTI’s engagement. The new

Indian Wildlife Business Council

is leading the way, and I can’t

think of a better country to

begin in. It has the potential to

completely change the dynamic

in the relationship between

industry and conservation.

We’re also seeing something

bigger that I hope all of you can

be proud of. The Global Tiger

Initiative has emerged as a

new business and policy model

for how governments and the

conservation community can

work together with the World

Bank Group to be able to

conserve biodiversity. We have

increasing interest in trying to

apply this model to other areas

of conservation, whether it’s

elephants, rhinos, or leopards.

39

Partnership has been the key

to success. As all of you know,

there are many efforts to try to

save the tiger and other species.

We have a lot of conservation

groups that devoted many

hours and dollars to this effort.

But I think what has been key is

drawing all the parties together.

The Smithsonian Institution,

led by Secretary Clough, is a

leading knowledge partner; the

GEF, led by Monique Barbut,

is a leading funding partner;

the World Wildlife Fund; the

Wildlife Conservation Society;

TRAFFIC, which is the wildlife

monitoring network; the

International Fund for Animal

Welfare, and others. And each

brings a very special expertise

to the alliance.

Across the World Bank, we have

support from our Sustainable

Development Network, the

World Bank Institute, and we’re

now engaged in our regions

and country offices.

And, as Keshav mentioned,

the other good news is that

we’re starting to get resources

beginning to flow – from

the World Bank Group, the

GEF, the U.S. Government,

and others. As he mentioned,

about 60% of the necessary

funds for the first five years of

implementing the Global Tiger

Recovery Program is already

secured.

And I’m particularly delighted

that today we’re going to

welcome a new knowledge

partner. Clemson University’s

Open Parks Grid offers a

revolutionary way for managers

of protected areas to connect, to

be able to share experience and

scientific research, and learn

from one another – exactly the

type of development we hope

to spur.

I look forward to hearing today

the reflections of our tiger

range countries and partner

representatives. As you know,

these are the countries that are

critical. These are the countries

on the ground where the

tigers live, and their success is

fundamental to any effort.

The leadership and commitment

of each and every one of these

tiger range countries is what

makes this project so unique

and powerful. The vision of

these leaders in getting results

in action on the ground, often

involving some very courageous

frontline staff, from reserve

directors and guards to rangers,

is the key.

So I’m really delighted we have

the ministers from Bangladesh,

Bhutan, and Vietnam –

countries on the front line

of tiger conservation. These

ministers are the strongest

champions of the GTI. I want

to thank them for their special

leadership role with the tiger

recovery planning.

As Keshav mentioned, the

next three years for the

implementation of these

recovery plans are absolutely

critical for wild tigers. We’re

down to the barest number. A

few mistakes here and there

and this species could be gone.

So, it’s heartening that we see

the commitment of the tiger

range countries and all the

GTI partners to be strong and

focused, and I’m particularly

pleased we’re drawing in new

partners. As I think most of

you or all of you know, this is

my last week. It’s a pretty busy

one, but I wanted to come to

this event because I think it’s

so important and because I

wanted to thank the tiger range

countries, our partners, and

my colleagues across the World

Bank Group.

Keshav and the GTI Secretariat

deserve particular thanks.

John Seidensticker, who has

really been with us from the

very start of this, has been an

extraordinary leader. Working

with all of you, and many who

can’t be here today, has really

been a great privilege.

While I leave the Bank at the

end of the week, you can be

certain that I’ll be following

the progress of this group quite

closely – as we move forward to

that goal we set of doubling the

number of tigers worldwide.

I’m very proud of what we’ve

been able to accomplish, and

I look forward to seeing wild

tigers flourish in years to come.

This is a transcript of World

Bank President Robert B.

Zoellick’s remarks at yesterday’s

high-level meeting, Global

Tiger Initiative - Outcomes

and Challenges. The presence

of the Ministers from

Bangladesh, Bhutan, and

Vietnam, and many other

champions of tiger conservation

made this a truly special event.

He retired from the post on 30

June 2012.

Published by: Wildlife Watch Group (WWG), GPO Box 8975, EPC 696, Machaagal-20, Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal Phone: +977-1-5524188, 5555018, Fax: +977-1-5555018, E-mail: wwg@citesnepal.org, Editor: Mangal Man Shakya, Sub-Editor: Swechha Lamichhane

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esig

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Prin

t:Cont. to page 28

Scientists Find Cubs of Rare Snow Leopard

a den site with cubs and thanks to this video we

can share it with the world.’ The Snow Leopard

Trust has since posted the video on its YouTube

channel.

At the second den, the team found two male

cubs in a narrow crack in a cliff wall. Confirming

that their mother was out on a kill, the scientists

were able to enter, photograph the cubs and take

hair samples that will allow them to establish

the cubs’ genetic identification and confirm sex.

They also took weights and measurements and

implanted PIT tags (tiny tracking microchips

similar to those used by pet owners). Both cubs

had full stomachs and appeared to be in good

condition.

The team handled the cubs with care and took

their measurements as quickly as possible.

“This was an unprecedented opportunity,’ says

Rutherford, ‘We wanted to be as careful as

possible and only take the most pressing data.’

The days following the den visits the team

listened with VHF from a distance to make

sure that the females returned. Their constant

monitoring has confirmed that both females

are still with their cubs. The research teams will

not be visiting the cubs or the den sites again in

order to limit disturbance to the den areas and

the cubs themselves.

For the first time ever, researchers in

Mongolia have been able to locate and video

cubs within a den site belonging to the rare and

endangered snow leopard.

After a month of intensive searching, an

international research team has located the den

sites of two female snow leopards and captured

astonishing videos of a young cub resting inside

a den with its mother.

The research team, co-managed by the Snow

Leopard Trust and Panthera, and supported by

three UK organizations—BBC Wildlife Fund,

Whitley Fund for Nature, and David Shepherd

Wildlife Foundation—has been tracking snow

leopards in Mongolia’s South Gobi desert since

2008 using GPS radio collars. In May, two of

the study’s females began to restrict their daily

movements to smaller and smaller areas, which

the team interpreted as a signal that both were

preparing to give birth. Traveling through steep

and rocky mountain outcroppings, the team

followed VHF signals transmitted by the collars

and finally located the dens on 21 June.

Only six kilometers apart, both dens were high

up in steep canyons. The first den was in a big

cave with a man-made rock wall blocking most

of the entrance. ‘As we stood outside the den we

could hear the cub and smell the cats but not see

anything inside the den,’ noted researcher Orjan

Johansson of Sweden. He and his colleagues,

Sumbee Tomorsukh of Mongolia, Mattia

Colombo of Italy, and Carol Esson of Australia,

had to think fast and decided to tape a camera to

their VHF antenna. Extending the camera over

the wall they were able to film the inside of the

cave. Their remarkable footage shows a female

snow leopard lying tucked against the wall staring

at the entrance with a paw over her tiny cub.

‘This is incredible,’ says Brad Rutherford,

Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust.

‘Snow leopards are so rare and elusive that

people often talk about them as ‘ghosts’ of the

mountains. This is the first documented visit of