The Snow Leopard Trust’s research team is currently tracking a record nine wild snow leopards in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains with GPS collars. Here’s a look at these nine cats and what we know about them.
Snow Leopards, Ibexes and Goats to be tracked simultaneously with GPS Collars in Mongolia
Most big cats are territorial, with males commonly using larger home ranges than females. But what is driving the spatial behavior of these cats? A new study published in the journal Ecosphere compares spatial data from snow leopards and pumas to better understand what is governing their territorial behavior. Two factors stand out: abundance of prey and access to potential mates. However, the way they work together is not what researchers expected.
In 2016, our talented and dedicated young colleague Sumbe Tomorsukh tragically passed away. To honor Sumbe’s legacy, we’ve named the newest wild snow leopard to be part of our study in Mongolia after him.
Data from camera traps and GPS collars show endangered snow leopards dispersing to distant mountain ranges across stretches of deserted steppe, swimming across streams and rivers considered impossible to cross, and freely passing country borders.
Researchers from the Snow Leopard Trust have been able to locate and examine a pair of wild snow leopard cubs in their den in Mongolia. The discovery will help experts better understand and ultimately protect the endangered cat.
Tsetsen, a male snow leopard wearing a GSP collar in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains as part of the Snow Leopard Trust’s long-term study of these cats, has gone offline as scheduled. The batteries on Tsetsen’s collar appear to have run out. The collar itself will drop off the cat in the next weeks.
The saga of Anu continues. This snow leopard mother living in Mongolia’s Tost mountains not only keeps surprising us – she also provides a powerful example of nature’s perseverance!
Snow Leopard Trust researcher Örjan Johansson recently published a groundbreaking study where he could show that most Protected Areas in the cats’ habitat are too small to hold viable snow leopard populations. In this article, he explains how he and his team calculated snow leopard home ranges using data from cats they tracked with GPS collars.
40% of Protected Areas in Asia Are Unable to Sustain Even One Pair of Breeding Snow Leopards