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EXPEDITION REPORT
Expedition dates:
26 June
–
26 August 2017
Report published:
June
2018
Mountain ghosts: protecting snow
leopards and other animals of the
Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan
(as w
ell as studying butterflies as indicators of climate change)
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
1
EXPEDITION
REPORT
Mountain ghosts: protecting snow leopards and other
animals of the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan
(as well as studying butterflies as indicators of climate change)
Expedition dates:
26 June
–
26 August 2017
Report publi
shed:
June
2018
Authors:
Volodymyr Tytar
I.I Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology
of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Amadeus DeKastle
Plateau Perspectives
and
American University of Central Asia
Matthias Hammer (editor)
Biosphere Expeditions
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
2
Abstract
This study was part of a continuing annual
expedition to the Tien Shan Mountains (Kyrgyz Ala
Too and Jumgal Too ranges), run by Biosphere Expeditions and NABU
from June to
August
2017
,
with the aim of surveying for snow leopard (
Panthera uncia
)
and its prey species. Using
a cell methodology developed for citizen scientist volunteer expeditions, 78 cells of 2x2 km
were surveyed and 14 interviews with local people were conducted.
21 butterfly species
were
also recorded.
Previous expeditions had ind
icated
that snow leopard was present in the survey
area
and in
2017 the discovery of fresh signs of snow leopard presence (pugmarks) confirmed
the importance of the study area as a habitat for the predator. The surveys also showed that
the area’s habitat i
s sufficiently varied and capable of sustaining a healthy prey base for the
snow leopard. Potential prey species
in the are
are Siberian ibex, marmot and snowcock; in
2017 there was no record of argali. Successful Maxent
-
d
irected field surveys identified
wildlife
are
as promising for the development of a local network of protected areas. Poaching,
overgrazing and other disturbances are serious issues that must be addressed in order to
avoid habitat degradation and with i
t the loss of the snow leopard. L
ocal people are
in favo
u
r
of snow le
opard presence and receptive to
the creation of
economic incentives based on intact
nature and snow leopard presence
and in
2017
community members from the surrounding
area were trained in camera trapping techniques in order to extend the stud
y season
through
the winter.
Biosphere Expeditions and NABU will continue with the annual research
expeditions to the area, seeking to conduct further surveys and
continuing to involve
local
people, as well as
continuing
t
o identify
and develop
e
conomic benefits and incentives to
maintaining habitat health, and with it snow leopard presence.
Резюме
Это исследование явилось частью продолжающейся ежегодной экспедиции в горы Тянь
-
Шаня (хребты Кыргыз Ала
-
Тоо и Джумгал
-
Тоо), проводимая
Biosphere
Expeditions
и
NABU
(Кыргызстан) в июне
-
августе 2017 года с целью исследования снежного барса (
Panthera
uncia
) и видов, составляющих его питание. Применив методику координатной сетки на карте,
разработанной для проведения научно
-
практического исследования совместно с
волонтерами, было исследовано 78 полигонов (размером 2х2 км) и был проведен опрос у
14 ме
стных жителей. Также был зарегистрирован 21 вид дневных бабочек. Ранее
отмечалось, что снежный барс обитает в районе исследований. В 2017 году обнаружение
новых признаков присутствия снежного барса (отпечатки следов) подтвердило важность
области исследован
ия как место обитания для хищника. Исследования показали, что
изученная область является биологически разнообразной и в наличии имеется кормовая
база снежного барса (горные козлы, сурки, улары); аргали в этом году не отмечены.
Успешные полевые исследовани
я, направленные с помощью
Maxent
моделирования,
позволили идентифицировать районы дикой природы, перспективные для развития
локальной сети охраняемых территорий. Браконьерство, уничтожение растительного
покрова и другие нарушения являются серьезной пробле
мой, способствуют локальному
вымиранию снежного барса и ухудшают среду его обитания. С другой стороны, отношение
местного населения к этой кошке положительное, поэтому люди восприимчивы к созданию
экономических стимулов, основанных на нетронутой природе и
наличии снежного барса. В
2017 г. некоторые местные жители были обучены работе с фотоловушками, для продления
сезона исследований еще на шесть месяцев.
Biosphere
Expeditions
и NABU будут
продолжать ежегодные исследовательские экспедиции в этот район. При э
том будут
проведены дальнейшие исследования и продолжено привлечение местных жителей. Также
продолжится поиск стимулов для развития экономических выгод и поддержания здоровой
среды обитания, а вместе с ним и снежного барса.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
3
Корутунду
Бул изилд
өө
Биосфера
лык экспедиция менен
НАБУ
нун Тянь
-
Шань (Кыргыз Ала
-
Тоо жана
Жумгал Тоо)
кыркаларына пландаган экспедициясынын бири болчу. 2017
-
жылдын
июль
жана август айында
уюштурулган экспедициясынын максаты, илбирс жана анын тоют
базасысынын аталган аймакта бар экендиг
ин аныктоо
болду. Ыктыярчылар менен илимий
практикалык изилд
өө
н
ү ө
тк
ө
р
үү ү
ч
ү
н атайын иштелип чыккан торчо карта методикасынын
жардамы менен 78 полигон ((аймагы 2х2км) изилденип, жергиликт
үү
жашоочулар арасында
14 сурамжылоо
ө
тк
ө
р
ү
лд
ү.
Мурда илбирс бул изил
д
өө
н
үү
ч
ү
аймакты мекендейт деген
малыматтар т
ү
шк
ө
н. 2017
-
жылы илбирстин жа
ң
ы издеринин табылганы (таманынын издери)
бул аймакты изилд
өө
маанил
үү
экенин т
ү
ш
ү
нд
ү
рд
ү.
Изилд
өө
н
ү
н негизинде,
изилденген
аймак биот
ү
рд
үү
л
ү
г
ү
жагынан жогору, илбирстин тоют базасы б
олгон (эчки
-
теке, суур,
улар) жетишт
үү
санда
экени аныкталды. 2017
-
жылы архарлар ж
ө
н
ү
нд
ө
эч кандай
маалымат болгон эмес. Ийгиликт
үү
талаа изилд
өө
с
ү
нун ж
ү
р
ү
ш
ү
нд
ө,
максималдуу т
ү
рд
ө
жапайы жаратылыштын аймагын идентификациялап анын келечект
үү ө
н
ү
г
үү
с
ү
н
ө
жана
корголушуна аракеттер жасалды.Браконьерчиликтин
ө
к
ү
м с
ү
рг
ө
н
ү
жана
ө
с
ү
мд
ү
кт
ө
рд
ү
н жок
болушу
илбирстин санынын азайып жатышынын бирден
-
бир себептери болуп саналат.
Бирок башка жагынан караганда
жергиликт
үү
элдин бул жандыкка болгон мамилеси
канааттандыраар
лык экен
. Ушул жактарын эске алып жергиликт
үү
элдерди фото капкан
менен
ишт
өө
г
ө ү
йр
ө
т
ү
п, изилд
өө
иштеринин сезонун кышка чейин узартуу маанил
үү
болду.
Биосфералык экспедиция менен НАБУнун мындан кийин да жыл сайын жергиликт
үү
жашоочуларды тартуу менен эко
номикалык факторлорду эске алып, жапайы
жаныбарлардын
санын аныктоо
жана илбирсти сактап калуу
максатында изилд
өө
л
ө
рд
ү
уланта бермекчи.
Zusammenfassung
Diese Studie war Teil einer Expedition in das Tien
-
Shan
-
Gebirge Kirgisiens (Ala
-
Too
und Jumgal
-
Too
Ber
gkette
n
), durchgeführt von Biospher
e Expeditions und dem NABU
im Juli und August 2017
mit dem
Ziel ein Gutachten über den Schneeleoparden (
Uncia uncia
) und dessen Beutetiere zu erstellen. Als
Basis diente eine von Biosphere Expeditions
entwickelte
Zellenme
thodik für Forschungsexpeditionen
mit Bürgerwissenschaftlern, bei der
78
Zellen von 2x
2 km Größe untersucht und
14
Interviews mit der
einh
eimischen Bevölkerung durchgefü
hrt wurden.
Außerdem wurde eine Liste von
21
in der Region
vorkommenden Schmetterling
s
a
rten erstellt. Daten, die
von
vorangegangenen Expeditionen gesammelt
wurden, gaben Hinweise darauf, dass der Schneeleopard im Studiengebiet vorkommt.
Die Expedition
2017
fand frische Schneeleopardenspuren und bestätigt somit das Vorkommen der Art im
Studie
ngebiet.
Die Forschungen zeigten auch, dass das Habitat im Studiengebiet variabel genug ist
und
gute
Voraussetzungen für ei
ne gesunde Beutetierpopulation
vorliegen
.
Potenzielle Beutetiere sind
der sibirische Steinbock, das
Murmeltier und die Schneehenne;
2
017
wurde
n
k
ein
e
Anzeichen auf
Argali
-
Bergschaf
e
gefunden. Mithilfe von Felduntersuchungen, basierend auf Maxent
-
Verbreitungsmodelle
n vorangeganger Expeditionen,
identifizierte die Expedition Gebiete für ein
Netzwerk lokaler Schutzgebiete
.
Wilderei, Überwe
idung und andere negative Einflüsse
bleiben
ernstzunehmende Störfaktoren, die
angegangen werden müssen
, um eine Verödung des
Lebensraumes und das damit einhergehende Verschwinden des
Schneeleoparden zu verhindern. D
ie
Akzeptanz des Schneeleoparden bei der
einheimischen Bevölkerung
ist
hoch und die Menschen sind
sehr empfänglich dafür, ökonomische Massnahmen zu kreieren und umzusetzen, die auf beidem
basieren: Einer intakten Natur und dem Schneeleopard in freier Wildbahn.
2017 wurden auch
Einheimische an Kam
erafallen ausgebildet, um den Studienzeitraum auszudehnen und Menschen vor
Ort weiter zu integrieren.
Biosphere Expeditions und der NABU werden die alljährlichen Expeditionen
ins Studiengebiet weiterführen, mit dem Ziel noch mehr Daten zu sammeln, die loka
le Bevölkerung
einzubeziehen und nach wirtschaftlichem Nutzen
,
sowie Massnahmen zu suchen, die einen intakten
Lebensraum und damit einhergehend das Vorkommen von Schneeleoparden sichern.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
4
Contents
Abstract / Резюме
2
Резюме / Zusammenfassung
3
Contents
4
1. Expedition Review
5
1.1. Background
5
1.2. Research area
5
1.3. Dates
7
1.4. Local conditions & support
7
1.5. Expedition scientist
8
1.6. Expedition leader
9
1.7. Expedition team
9
1.8. Partners
10
1.9
. Acknowledgements
10
1.
10
. Further i
nformation & enquiries
10
1.11
. Expedition budget
11
2. Monitoring snow leopards…
12
2.1. Introduction
12
2.2. Materials & methods
15
2.3. Results
23
2.4. Discussion and conclusions
40
2.5. Literature cited
43
3. Butterflies
of the
W
est and East Karakol river valleys
, K
yrgyzstan
45
3.1. Introduction
45
3.2. Materials & methods
46
3.3. Results
46
3.4. Discussion and conclusions
69
3.5. Literature cited
71
Appendix I: List of bird
species recorded during the 2017
expedition
72
Appen
dix II:
Field interview datasheet as used by the expedition
74
Appendix II: Expedition diary and reports
79
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
5
Please note: Each expedition report is written as a stand
-
alone document that can be read
without having to refer back to previous reports
. As such, much of this
and other
section
s,
which remain
valid and relevant,
are
a repetition from previous reports, copied here to
provide the reader with an uninterrupted flow of argument and rationale.
1. Expedition Review
M. Hammer (editor)
Biosphere
Expeditions
1.1. Background
Biosphere Expeditions runs wildlife conservation research expeditions to all corners of the
Earth. Our projects are not tours, photographic safaris or excursions, but genuine research
expeditions placing ordinary people with
no research experience alongside scientists who
are at the forefront of conservation work. Our expeditions are open to all and there are no
special skills (biological or otherwise) required to join. Our expedition team members are
people from all walks of
life, of all ages, looking for an adventure with a conscience and a
sense of purpose. More information about Biosphere Expeditions and its research
expeditions can be found at
www.biosphere
-
expeditions.org
.
This project report deals with an expedition to the
Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan
(Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too Range)
that ran from
26 June
to 26 August 2017
with the
aim
of
survey
ing
snow leopards as well as their prey species such as argali (a mountain sheep)
and the Central Asian ibex. The expedition also survey
ed
other animals such as marmots,
birds
,
and small mammals, and work
ed
with the local anti
-
poaching patrol “группы барс”
(snow leopard group “Grupa Bars”) and other local people on capacity
-
building and
incentive creation projects.
Little is known about the status and distribution of the globally endangered snow leopard in
the area, or about its interaction with prey animals such as the Tien Shan argali and
Central Asian ibex, and its reliance on smaller prey such as marmots, ground squirrels and
game birds.
Biosphere Expeditions
provide
s
vital data on these
f
actors
, whic
h can then be
used in the formulation of management and protection plans. The expedition also worked
with locals in an effort to build capacity, educate and involve local people in snow leopard
conservation and generate income through responsible tourism a
ctivities.
1.2. Research area
Kyrgyzstan is a country located in Central Asia and
is
often referred to as the "Switzerland
of Central Asia". Landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to
the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikista
n to the southwest and China to the east. Its
capital and largest city is Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan is further from the sea than any other
country in the world and all its rivers flow into closed drainage systems, which do not reach
the sea. The mountainous regi
on of the Tien Shan covers over 80% of the country, with
the remainder made up of valleys and basins. The highest peak is Jengish Chokusu (Pik
Pobedy) at 7,439 m and more than half of the country is above 2,500 metres. Steppe and
alpine vegetation dominate
the landscape; glaciers and permanent snow cover over 3% of
the country’s total area. The climate in Kyrgyzstan is continental with a small amount of
rainfall.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
6
The Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too (Кыргыз Ала
-
Тоосу, also Kyrgyz Alatau, Kyrgyz Range) is
a large
range in the northern Tien
Shan mountains.
The
range is situated just south
of
the capital
city of Bishkek and the views from the city itself are stunning and form a backdro
p
unlike
any other
in the world.
The
Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
Range
stretches for a total length of 4
54 km
from the west
end of Issyk
-
Kul to the town
of
Taraz in Kazakhstan. It runs in
an
east
-
west
direction, separating
into the Chuy,
Kochkor, Suusamyr and Talas
v
al
ley
s
. The western
part of Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too serves as a natural border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
The range’s highest mountain is
Alamyudyun Peak
at 4,855 m.
Figure 1.2a.
Map
(wth study site)
a
nd
flag of Kyrgyzstan
.
An overview of Biosphere E
xpeditions’ research sites,
assembly points, base camp and office locations can be
found at
Google Maps
.
The mountains are divided by several river valleys and there is a great variety of
landscape. There are hollows with semi
-
desert areas, alpine peaks, narrow river canyons
and broad valleys, highland tundra and deep natural limesto
ne gorges, open steppes,
permanent snow and glaciers, tracts of forest, as well as a multitude of lakes, wild rivers
and waterfalls. Forests of larch, cedar, spruce and pine (but very few deciduous trees)
cover more than half of the mountain territory.
T
here are many threatened animal and plant species present in the area, a great number
of them endemic, with a recent count showing at least 70 threatened mammal, 376 bird,
44 fish and
3,000 insect species.
Study site
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
7
The Kyrgyz people are descendants of several
different nomadic Turkish ethnic groups in
Central Asia and were first mentioned in writing in 201 BC. Kyrgyzstan is one of the active
members of the Turkic Council and the TÜRKSOY community. Kyrgyzstan's history is one
of Turkish
,
Mongol, and more recent
ly Soviet and Russian domination. Independence from
the Soviet Union was declared on 31 August 1991 and Kyrgyzstan became, and has
stayed, a unitary parliamentary republic.
1.3. Dates
The project ran over a period of two
months
divided into
three 12
-
day
slots, each
composed of a team of international research assistants, scientists and an expedition
leader. Slot dates were:
26 June
-
8 July | 10
-
22 July
|
| 31 July
-
12 August | 14
-
26 August
2017
Team members could join for multiple slots (within the
periods specified).
1.4. Local conditions & support
Expedition base
The expedition team
worked from a mobile base camp, set up in various valleys on the
southern side of Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too (
see Fig 2.2.
3a
). Base camp consisted
of an assortment
of dome, mes
s and kitchen, as well as shower tents
, and a yurt (see Fig. 1.4a)
.
All meals
were
pre
pared by the expedition cook
; breakfast and dinner were provided at base and a
lunch pack was supplied for each day spent in the field.
Figure 1.4a.
Base camp with ki
tchen
(yellow)
and mess
(green) tunnel tents
and dome tents for participants.
Shower and toilet tents are outside the frame. There is also an expedition lorry for transporting base camp,
and the expedition 4x4 vehicles.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
8
Weather
The local climate is tem
perate continental with short, hot summers (during which the
expedition took place) and prolonged, cold winters. Winter temperatures range from
-
9°C
to
-
45°C,
with
summer temperatures
ranging
from +11°C to +35°C during the day. Base
camp was in the mountai
ns at an altitude of 3,000 m and as such the weather was very
variable.
W
ind and rain showers occurred
in
frequently and higher up
could turn int
o
snowfall.
On 4 August a strong storm ripped through the camp about midday and
destroyed both the mess tent and kitchen
.
Field communications
The expedition had a satellite phone for emergency communications. There were also
hand
-
held radios for groups working close together. There was generally no mobi
le phone
network. The expedition leader posted a
diary with multimedia content on Wordpress
and
excerpts of this were
p
osted
on Biosphere Expeditions’ soc
ial media sites such as
Facebook
and
Google+
.
Transport & vehicles
Team members made their own way to Bishkek. From there onwards an
d back to Bishkek
all transport was provided for the expedition team. A variety of 4x4 vehicles were rented
from Almaz Alzhambaev of
www.carforrent.kg
. Local partner NABU also provided a 4x4
vehicle and a lorry (se
e Figure 1.4a). Horses were rented from local people as necessary.
Medical support and incidences
The expedition leaders were trained first aiders and the expedition carried a
comprehensive medical kit. Further medical support was provided by the
Public
Foundation "Rescue in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan"
, small district hospitals in the town of
Suusamyr (about 40 km from camp 1) and Kochkor (about 40 km from camp 2), a large
hospital in Kara
-
Balta and large pub
lic hospitals and private clinics in Bishkek (about 140
km and 200 km from camp respectively).
Safety and emergency procedures were in place
and invoked once
when a pre
-
existing condition manifested itself in an unexpected
spinal
injury. The patient was ev
acuated to Bishkek and
from there to Dubai.
All team members were required to carry adequate travel insurance covering emergency
medical evacuation and repatriation.
1.5.
Expedition
scientist
Volodymyr
Tytar was born in 1951 and
obtained
his Master’s Degree in Biology
from Kiev
State University. At that time he first exper
ienced the Tien Shan mountains and wrote a
term paper on the ecology of the brown bear. He then pursued a career as an invertebrate
zoologist before shifting towards large mammals and management planning for nature
conservation.
As well as
Kyrgyzstan, h
e has worked with Biosphere Expeditions on
wolves, vipers and jerboas on the Ukraine Black Sea coast, and on snow leopards in the
nearby Altai mountains, and has been involved in surveying and conservation measures
throughout
his professional life
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
9
1.6. Expedition leader
The expedition was led by
Amadeus DeKastle
,
who
has
been living and working in
Kyrgyzstan since 2009. Born in Germany and with a US passport, he hold
s
a
Masters
de
gree in entomology from the University of Nebraska. He currently works with NGO
Plateau Perspectives in environmental conservation with a number of citizen science
research projects. He is also a part
-
time lecturer at the American University of Central Asi
a
in the Environmental Management Department. In 2014 he found out about Biosphere
Expeditions’ work in Kyrgyzstan and signed up
for
a placement. After two years of
volunteering with Biosphere Expeditions, he decided to jump in with both feet and joined
th
e team in 2016.
1.7. Expedition team
The expedition team was recruited by Biosphere Expeditions and consisted of a mixture of
all ages, nationalities and backgrounds. They were (in alphabetical order and with country
of residence):
26 June
-
8
July 2017
:
Adnan Ali
(Kyrgyzstan)*, Regina Austermann (Germany), Matthias
Graeub (Switzerland)**, Matthias Hammer (Germany)***, Lisa Hui (Australia), Shruti
Kumar (India), Catherine McCosker (South Korea), Tessa Merrie (UK)***, Ulrich Pamler
(Germany), Nitin Rames
h (India), Urmas Roostalu (UK), Jannis Schubert
(Germany), Neil
Seshadri
(Japan), Nadia Trupcevic (Germany).
10
-
22 July 2017
:
Amy Cook (UK), Andrew Dean (UK), Maria Domingues (Portugal),
Yryskeldi Emilbekov
(Kyrgyzstan)
*
,
Franziska Hefti (Switzerland),
Martin Hefti
(Switzerland), Amy
Jordan (USA), Christoph Mareischen (Switzerland), Caro
l Montgomery
(Dean) (UK), Brian
Oram (UK),
Christore Palitzsch (Germany), Sven Pelka (Germany),
Christina Willi (Switzerland).
31 July
-
12 August 2017
:
Susanne Ahlqvist
(Norway), Claudia Bohnsack (Germany), Kate
Cregoe (New Zealand), Thomas Exner (Austria), Cyril Feuerriegel (Germany), Anette
Holmberg (Sweden), Janine Liddelow (Australia), Kenneth Magee (USA), Wolfgang
Moschek (Germany), Michael Mueller (Germany),
Emma N
argejev (Kyrgyzstan)*,
Alina
Reichardt (Germany)**, Jana Schweitzer (USA), Sarah Stephens (Australia).
14
-
2
6
August 2017:
Nadia Asykulov (Kyrgyzstan)*,
Tobias Babian (Germany), Sharon &
Daniel Biancalana (UK), Joseph Colletti (USA), Caitlin Harding (UK)
, Jill Hill (USA), Abigail
James (UK), Jennifer Jung
-
Bleicher (Germany), Beata
-
Clara Krambeck (Germany), Birgit
Lorenz (Germany), Stephan Nerge (Germany), Asel Shailoobekova (Kyrgyzstan)*
,
Fabian
von
Poser (Germany)**, Lidia Waigner
(Germany).
Also our ex
pedition cook throughout the expedition,
Gulia
Subanova
and, on a rotational
basis, members of NABU’s anti
-
poaching patrol Grupa Bars: Schailoobek Tezektschiev,
Aman Talgartbek Uulu and Bekbolot Ozgorush Uulu, all from Kyrgyzstan.
*p
lacement kindly suppor
ted by the
Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation
**press
***
additional
Biosphere Expeditions staff.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
10
1.8. Partners
On this expedition our main partner was the German conservation organ
i
s
ation
NABU
(NABU; Naturschutzbund; nature protection alliance)
. Founded in 1899, NABU is one of
the oldest and largest environment
al
associations in Germany. The association
encompasses more than 450,000 members and sp
onsors, who commit themselves to the
conservation of threatened habitats, flora and fauna, and to climate protection and
improving
energy policy. In Kyrgyzstan, NABU, in cooperation with the Kyrgyz
government, is implementing a program
me
to conserve the snow
leopard through a twin
approach of research and the prevention of illegal hunting and trade of the endangered
species (see
http://nabu.kg/wp/
).
1.9
. Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the expedition participants, who
not only dedicated their spare time to
helping but also, through their expedition contributions, funded the research. Thank you
also to our partner organisation, the
Naturschutzbund
(NABU; nature protection alliance),
i
n particular the Grupa Bars (see section 1.7. for details), as well as Tolkunbek Asykulov
and NABU’s Bishkek office staff, Boris Tichomirow, Hanna Pfüller and Britta Hennig. A big
thank you also to
Almaz Alzhambaev of
www.carforrent.kg
, who has helped us very much
over and above the call of duty.
Biosphere Expeditions would also like to thank members
of the Friends of Biosphere Expeditions and all donors to a fundraising campaign for their
support.
The expedition
also gratefully acknowledges support from the
Nando and Elsa Peretti
Foundation
.
1.10
. Further informa
tion & enquiries
More background information on Biosphere Expeditions in general and on this expedition
in particular including pictures, diary excerpts and a copy of this report can be found on the
Biosphere Expeditions website
www.biosphere
-
expeditions.org
.
Enquires should be addressed to Biosphere Expeditions at the address given on the
website.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
11
1.11
. Expedition budget
Each team member paid towards expeditio
n costs a contribution
of £1,
89
0
per person
per
12
-
day slot. The contribution covered accommodation and meals, supervision and
induction, special research equipment and all transport from and to the team assembly
point. It did not cover excess luggage charges, travel insurance, personal expenses suc
h
as telephone bills, souvenirs etc., or visa and other travel expenses to and from the
assembly point (e.g. international flights). Details on how this contribution was spent are
given below.
Income
£
Expedition contributions
76,731
Grant support
8
,350
Expenditure
Expedition base
includes all food & services
9,411
Transport
includes hire cars, fuel, taxis in Kyrgyzstan
11,781
Equipment and hardware
includes research materials & gear etc. purchased internationally & locally
6,894
Staff
includ
es local and Biosphere Expeditions staff salaries and travel expenses
13,451
Administration
includes miscellaneous fees & sundries
3,054
Team recruitment Tien Shan
as estimated % of annual PR costs for Biosphere Expeditions
6,
733
Income
–
Expenditure
25,407
Total
%
age spent directly on project
67
%
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
12
2.
Monitoring
snow leopards and other species on the
south side of the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too mountain range in the
Tien Shan
mountains of Kygryzstan (2017
)
Volodymyr Tytar
I.I Schmalhausen Institute
of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
2.1
.
Introduction
2.1.1. Background on the snow leopard
The snow leopard (
Panthera
uncia
) is a member of the
cat family
Felidae
,
subfamily
Pantherinae
(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard
). Snow leopards
are found in
twelve
countries across Central Asia (
Fig 2.1.1a).
China contains as much as 60% of the
snow leopard’s potential habitat.
Figure 2.1.1a.
Part of the s
now leopard
’s
range (brown) and range countries
(map ©
2009 Snow Leopard Trust)
.
Expedition study site in black ellipse.
Inaccessible and difficult terrain, along with the secretive nature of this rare cat
,
helps
to
account for the fact that large parts of its range
have yet to be surveyed. Between 4,500
and 7,350 snow leopards are thought to occur within a total potential habitat area of
1,835,000 km
2
(
McCarthy
&
Chapron
2003).
Snow leopards are generally solitary
creatures,
and mating usually occurs between late Ja
nuary and mid
–
March,
with
one to
five cubs
being
born after a gestation period of 93 to 110 days, generally in June or July
(
Sunquist
&
Sunquist
2002)
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
13
Snow leopards are closely associated with the alpine and subalpine ecological zones,
preferring broken
, rocky terrain with vegetation that is dominated by shrubs or grasses
(
McCarthy
&
Chapron
2003)
.
The home range of five snow leopards in prime habitat in Nepal varied from 12 to 39 km
2
,
with substantial overlap between individuals and sexes (Jackson & A
hlbom 1988). In
Mongolia, where food resources may be scarcer, home ranges of both males and females
exceeded 400 km
2
(McCarthy & Chapron 2003). Snow leopards are opportunistic
predators capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight (Mcdonald
& Loveridge
2010). They will also take small prey such as marmot
(
Marmota sp.
)
or chukar partridge
(
Alectoris sp.
)
. In general, their most commonly taken prey consists of wild sheep and
goats (including blue sheep, Asian ibex, markhor and argali) (Lyngdoh
et al. 2014). Adult
snow leopards kill a large prey animal every 10
-
15 days, and remain on the kill for an
average of three days, but sometimes up to a week (McCarthy 2000). Predation on
livestock can be significant, which often results in retribution kill
ing by herders (McCarthy &
Chapron 2003).
In 2017 snow leopards were re
-
categorised, amongst much controversy still ongoing
today, from Endangered to
Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List
(
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017
-
2.RLTS.T22732A50664030.en
)
because the
global population is estimated to number more than 2,500
,
but fewer than 10,000 mature
individuals, and there is an estimated and projected decline of at least 10% ove
r
three
generations.
Snow leopards also
appear in Appendix I of both CITES and the Convention
on Conservation of Migratory Speci
es of Wild Animals (CMS). Snow l
eopards are
protect
ed nationally over most of their
range
although
in some countries the relevan
t
legislation may not always be very effective.
2.1.2. The snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan was once home to the species' second largest population in the world
(Anon.
2013).
In the 1970s and 1980s, the trapping and export of wil
d animals was offici
ally
organi
s
ed by the Soviet national zoo authority. Kyrgyzstan supplied approximately 40
snow leopards annually, which the central office in Mosc
ow sold to zoos worldwide for
USD
50
per animal
(Anon. 2013)
. With the
end
of the Soviet Union, many official
wildlife
trappers were put out of work. Today, because of the high prices
snow leopard parts earn
on the black market, snow leopards have been poached
heavily
since Kyrgyzstan gained
independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
(
Dexel
2002)
.
In Kyrgyzstan (
representing around 4% of the
snow leopard home range, Table 2.1.2a
),
numbers declined from an estimated 600
–
700 individual
s in the late 1980s (Koshkarev
1989) to 150
–
200
individuals by 2000 (Koshkarev & Vyrypaev
2000), putting the species
at high risk of
extinction in the country.
More recent population estimates are closer to 350
-
400 for the whole country (Davletbakov et al. 2016).
Across the snow leopard’s range, gaining a more accurate picture
of
snow leopard
distribution and identifying ‘hotspots’ is
a critical conservation need. Over most of the
range, it is uncertain where t
he species occurs
(McCarthy & Chapron 2003)
. This
emphasis
es the need for snow leopard surveys and distribution mapping, the results of
which will help
to
identify areas for cons
ervation.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
14
Table 2.1.2a.
Potential Habitat A
rea (in square kilometres) for snow leopard across its r
ange in Central Asia
(after
Hunter & Jackson
1997).
Country
Total potential habitat
(estimated occupied habitat)
Good
Fair
%
protected
All Countrie
s
3,024,728
549,706
2,475,022
6.0
Kyrgyzstan
126,162 (105,000)
32,783
93,379
1.1
Secondly, there is a need
for a better understanding of prey species distributions and
populations.
As with snow leopards themselves, the distribution and abundance of the
cat’s prey
are
poorly documented over much of
the range.
Baseline population estimates
should be gained
for this purpose and to assist with
the initiation of
long
-
term trend
monitoring
.
Third
ly, an important
e
lement
is
the evaluation of the attitudes and
lifestyles of local
c
ommunities,
who share the snow leopard’s habitat
.
In 2013
these needs
were
incorporated into a new international effort to save the snow
leopard and conserve high
-
mountain ecosystems
(
the Global Snow Leopard
& Ecosystem
Protection Program,
GSLEP
,
www.globalsnowleopard.org/documents
-
grid/
)
, which
corresponds to the commitments of the
Bis
hkek Declaration
adopted by
twelve
snow
leopard home range countries at the Global Snow Leopard Forum in
Bishkek
. Under
GSLEP, portfolios of national activities have been designed and are expected to be
implemented with the support from inter
national and
national partners (see
www.globalsnowleopard.org/documents
-
grid/
)
.
On this expedition our main partner
was
the German conservation organi
s
ation
N
ABU
(NAB
U =
Naturschutzbund
= nature protection alliance)
. Founded in 1899, NABU is one of
the oldest and largest environment
al
associations in Germany. The association
encompasses more than 450,000 members and sponsors, who commit themselves to the
conservation o
f threatened habitats, flora and fauna,
and to
to climate protection and
energy policy. In Kyrgyzstan, NABU, in cooperation with the Kyrgyz government, is
implementing a program
me
to conserve the snow leopard through a twin approach of
research and the pre
vention of illegal hunting and trade of the endangered species
(see
http://nabu.kg/wp/
)
.
2.1.3. Background on Kyrgyzstan
and the Tien Shan, environmental issues
The
Kyrgyz territory is
almost
entirely
comprised of the
ranges,
valleys, and plateaus
of the
Ti
e
n Shan and Pamir
-
Alai
r
anges, with
94
%
of the nation’s territory being
higher than
1,000 m in elevation,
while 40
%
of territory is above 3
,
000 m.
The Tien Shan mountains are
amongst
the largest mountai
n range
s
in Asia in
terms of
surfa
ce area, with a length of
2
,800 km
and
a maximum width of 800 km, and
with a total
of 40 peaks over 6
,
000 m.
The geologic history of the Ti
e
n Shan is one of rapid uplift
forming multiple, parallel
ranges (Bullen
et al.
200
3). These geologic processes have led
to the formation of
a large number of long, roughly parallel valleys with wide altitudinal
variation. One
result of this geologic history has been the formation of numerous, closely
spaced, and
extremely varied microcl
imates. These microclimates in turn have led to the
formation of
a large number of remarkably diverse
ecosystems.
T
he combination of the
Kyrgyz
Republic’s geographic posi
tioning, numerous microclimates
and variety of relict
ecosystems, ha
ve
endowed the
coun
try
wi
th remarkable species diversity.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
15
Notable vertebrate species include the snow leopard
(
Panthera
uncia
), argali (
Ovis
ammon
), Pallas’s cat (
Felis manul
),
and the Himala
yan griffon (
Gyps
himalyensis
).
Unfortunately, some of these
species have been p
ushed to the brink of local
extinction
since the onset of the economic crisis of the 1990s, which hit rural areas
particularly hard.
M
any Kyrgyz turned to hunting,
including the widespread poaching of
endangered
species, which resulted in a
severe reductio
n of wild animal
populations.
Poaching has
had an alarming impact on
protected species such as the snow leopard, which was
formerly found throughout
the country
and in the mid
-
1980s had an estimated population
of 1200
–
1400 animals
(Koshkarev 1988).
Ma
ss im
poverishment of rural populations
led to
a general breakdown of law enforcement
measures concerning wildlife and protected
areas, and by 1996 the estimated population
of snow leopards had fallen by half to 650
.
In
2003, it was estimated that as few as 150
snow leopards
r
emained in Kyrgyzstan
(Vorobeev & van der Ven
2003).
Today
Kyrgyzstan
faces
serious
environmental
problems
. A
mong global environmental
issues presently on the agenda
are g
lobal climate change, ozone layer depletion,
desertification, and bio
diversity loss
.
According to the
national Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plan
,
the threats to biodiversity are related to anthropogenic activity and include
habitat loss and alteration, fragmenta
tion of natural communities due to overuse, over
-
harvesting, direct mortality, introduction of non
-
native species, environmental pollution,
and climate change.
In Kyrgyzstan today, at least 10
%
of the nation’s ve
rtebrate species
are endangered. In t
his context
loss of habitat and species
diversity due to overgrazing
remains a
severe problem
;
o
vergrazing
has resulted in erosion, proliferati
on of
unpalatable plant species
and an overall
reduction in pasture productivity (Fitzherbert
2000). While these
developments
adversely affect domestic animals residing on
mountain
pastures
, they also affect wild animals,
particularly grazing animals, and lead to an overall
reduction of wild plant species that
are the preferred forage of both wild and domestic
anima
ls.
In addition, u
ncertain land tenure and financial insecurity have caused many
private farmers to concentrate their
wealth in the traditional form
-
livestock
-
thus
subjecting
more
land to the overgrazing problem
in an apparent vicious cycle
.
2.2. Mate
rials and methods
2.2.1. Kyryz Ala
-
Too study site
The Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too (Kyrgyz: Кыргыз Ала
-
Тоосу, also Kyrgyz Alatau, Kyrgyz Range)
is a
large range in the northern Tien
Shan
(Fig.
2.1.
1
a
). It stretches for a total length of 454 km
from the west
-
end of
Lak
e Issyk
-
Kul
to the town
of
Taraz in Kazakhstan
. It runs in an
E
-
W
direction, separating Chuy Valley from
the valleys of
Kochkor, Suusamyr and Talas.
By a joint decision of NABU and Biosphere Expeditions
,
the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
mountain
range
was
chosen for s
now leopard inventory and habitat research for several reasons
including:
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
16
(1) T
he area in recent times has been poorly surveyed for snow leopard
.
P
revious
research of the area (
Koshkarev 1989, see Table 2.2.1a)
has suggested the suitability of
the
Kyryg
z Ala
-
Too for sustaining snow leopards. H
owever
,
more evidence is needed
befor
e coming to a final conclusion.
Table 2.2.1a.
Numbers, density and area occupied by the snow leopard in various parts of the Tien Shan (excerpt from
Koshkarev 1989). Ala
-
Archa i
s within the Kyrygz Ala
-
Too range.
Range, river catchment area
Number of individuals
Average density
(per 100 km
2
)
Occupied area
(in km
2
)
Aksu
12
-
14
2.51
517.5
Sokoluk
6
-
8
3.25
215.6
Ala
-
Archa
7
-
9
2.40
333.5
Issyk
-
Ata
5
-
6
3.25
169.0
(2
) A map stud
y suggested
that the area may be an important corridor for snow leopard
dispersal be
tween the Talas Ala
-
Too Range (w
estern Tien Shan) and ranges located in
the
Issyk
-
Kul basin
. A
ccording to a
draft design of an ecological network for Kyrgyzstan
led
by
prominent Kyrgyz biologist
E.M. Shukurov
,
“
it supports habitats and migration routes of
many wild animals (the snow leopard, black vulture, bearded vulture, hawk
-
type raptors,
lynx, wil
d boar, Siberian ibex, Himalayan snowcock) as well as juniper and spruce forests
that need protection”.
(3) T
he habitat is
high in biodiversity
, supporting a range of pre
y species and other
carnivores.
(4) The area lacks proper protection and is threate
ned by a growing economic interest; as
quoted in Shukorov’s draft design
:
“
geographically, the zone is located in the Chuy Oblast,
which is the mos
t populous province nationwide
. The proximity to the capital city of
Bishkek makes the zone more vulnerable b
ecause of heavy recreation pressure from city
dwellers visiting the nearest national park, mountaineer camps, zakaznik reserves, ski
resorts, thermal springs, etc. The anthropogenic impact on natural ecosystems is
especially pronounced in summer, as domest
ic cattle (over 100,000 heads of cattle
and
over 250,000 of sheep and goats) are p
ut to pasture of the Kyrgyz Ala
-
T
oo
”
. Shukorov
quotes the commonest violations of land use as
:
“
unsystematic cattle grazing, illegal
hunting and forest felling
”. However, ther
e is potential here for establishing protected
areas
and
several proposals have been made in Shukurov’s draft that could favour wildlife
and benefit local residents.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
17
2.2.2. Research area
and
timing of survey
The chosen study area is located in the south
ern Kyryz Ala
-
Too, away from the main cities
in the north. Surveys were centered around the Karakol Mountain Pass (
3
,
452 m)
and
encompassed areas in the upper reaches of the West and East Karakol rivers. The
expedition’s main access route into the area was
the Suusamyr plateau, a high steppe
plateau (
2
,200 m)
that although only some 160 km from Bishkek
,
is also one of the more
remote and rarely visited regions of Kyrgyzstan
.
In Soviet times
the area
was one of the
major sheep
breeding regions in the country
and
u
p to four million sheep
a year were
driven over the mountain passes in spring to graze on the grasses of the steppe.
Today, i
n
the summer, people still live in yurts and graze
their livestock here
.
The main settlement
,
Suusamyr
,
lies
about 15 km eas
t of the main Bishkek
-
Osh road.
From here, there is a
dirt road
following the
river
course of the West
Karakol and heading
towards
the
Karakol pass,
before
leading further to
the town of
Kochkor.
For reasons of
safety, accessibility and convenience, the
expedition
base camp
was
located close
to the Suusamyr
-
Kochkor road near to the middle of the planned study area
(42.359535
o
N, 74.737829
o
E, 3,002 m). From
this
base camp mostly one
-
day surveys, but
also some two
-
day/one
-
night surveys were conducted to
vari
ous portions of the Kyrgyz
Ala
-
Too Range and to
the neighbouring
Jumgal Too Range on the opposite side of the
West Karakol river.
Snow leopard surveys are best undertaken when weather permits travel within the
proposed survey area, when animals are most
actively marking and when signs are most
long
-
lived. These conditions rarely coincide, so trade
-
offs have to be made between
logistical factors and biological ones. Logistics and team recruitment factors by and large
determined the survey period for this s
tudy. On the one hand, summer is a difficult time to
find snow leopard signs: marking activity is low, human disturbance is high and livestock
grazing can soon obliterate signs. Suitability of tracking substrate is also poor (tracking is
much easier in sno
w). Weather conditions also tend to be unpredictable and contribute t
o
sign erosion and eradication, as
rain erodes signs very rapidly. On the other hand,
recruiting for a summer expedition is much more realistic, logistics are not nearly as
prohibitive
as
in winter and, most importantly for this study, human presence can be a
valuable source of information, especially in the absence of other baseline data.
2.2.3.
M
ethods
Survey routes followed river valleys and landform edges wherever possible. Research
focused on areas considered the most important habitat for snow leopard and prey, and
with the
lowest levels of human disturbance. Distant survey sites were accessed by car
and g
round surveys were conducted on foot.
Snow leopard presence can be detected b
y si
gn, i.e. pugmarks (tracks), scrapes, faeces
(scat), urination and rock scent spray
. These signs tend to be left in relatively predictable
places. For example, scrapes tend to be left at the base of cliffs, beside large boulders, on
knolls and promontor
ies, at bends in trails, or along other well
-
defined landform edges
(Koshkarev 1984, Mallon 1988
, Schaller et al. 1987, Jackson &
Ahlborn 1988). These
factors are important when deciding where to survey.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
18
Surveying the prey base is another essential compone
nt of a snow leopard
presence/absence survey. Argali (
Ovis ammon
) and ibex (
Capra sibirica
) are considered
the main prey species in the area and their range closely parallels that of the snow
leopard.
Prey species were surveyed by recording signs and by
observation. Prey signs included
tracks, faeces, hair
/
wool, and carcasses/bones. Prey spec
ies were divided into 'primary':
ibex and argali
,
and 'secondary'
:
roe deer
(
Capreolus capreolus
)
, marmot
(
Marmota
c
a
u
data
)
, pika
(
Ochotona
sp.)
, hare
(
Lepus capensis
tolai
),
wild boar
(
Sus scrofa
)
and
game birds (in particular snowcock,
Tetraogallus himalayensis
).
The same search sites
were used for snow leopard and prey
surveys
.
The prospective study site encompasses an area of 122 x 38 km within the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
Range, with additional surveys conducted in the Jumgal Too Range. The area was
divided into 2 x 2 km cells and surveying followed the
methodology manual
developed for
volunteer expeditions by Mazzolli & Hammer (2013).
GIS and
mapping
The main reference maps used were Soviet military topographic maps created between
1950
-
1980 at a scale of 1:100 000 and 1:200 000. A GIF image of the area was imported
and geo
-
referenced into the GIS freeware program TrackMaker (
www.gpstm.com
). A grid
of 2 x 2 km cells
covering the study area
, of which
only
a fraction was actually surveyed,
was uploaded into the expedition’s GPS units (Garmin etrex 20 and 30) to aid navigation
and data collection. Grid data w
as in Universal Transverse Mercator projection, covering
zone 43 N and datum WGS 84 (Fig. 2.2.3a).
Using GIS freeware programs
DIVA
-
GIS 7.
5 (
www.diva
-
gis.org/
)
,
QGIS 2.6.1
(
www
.qgis.org
)
and SAGA GIS (
www.saga
-
gis.org
)
, grid cells
were polygonised, their
centroids were found and hexagon buffers were created around them. These shapefiles
were then used in the subsequ
ent analysis of collec
ted data.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
19
Figure 2.2.3
a
.
Fragment of the map of the study area and grid of 2 x2 km cells, shown as a Google Earth fil
e (*.kml).
Red = gridlines (tracks).
Yellow pins = waypoints with cell codes
,
BC = base c
amp
(
located in cell AE18).
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
20
2.2.4. Training
of
citizen scientist
expedition participants
In this study, data collection was performed by
citizen scientsts
with no previous
knowledge of wildlife research and conservation, except
t
hat
given during the initial stages
of a short
-
duration expedition.
Training included an introduction to snow leopard
conservation issues, the role of NABU and Biosphere Expeditions in the snow leopard
survey and the methods of recording presence of species using GPS and datasheets. For
these purposes various handouts were
produced, including an 18 page illustrated
Expedition Field Guide
.
Before
participants
were split into small groups to perform
their various research
tasks, an
introductory survey
was performed
on the first day
as part of the training process. During
this survey, tracks and sca
ts of known species were shown.
To reduce identification errors,
participants
were instructed to bring scats to base camp
whenever they were unable to identi
fy the species. They were also briefed on how to
take
photos of tracks for identification later at base. The large surveying team recruited by
Biosphere Expeditions helped to cover a substantial geographical area in a short time,
meaning that
the
chances o
f finding snow leopard and other wildlife
sign were
maximi
s
ed
by having many people fully engaged in looking for
e
vidence
.
2.2.5. Sampling
Following the presence/absence method
in
the field manual developed by Mazzolli &
Hammer (2013)
, the presence of p
rey species and large carnivores was recorded using
the general
location given by a cell code. O
nce a species or its signs were found in a given
cell, it was scored as containing the species.
In cases of snow leopard sign
,
GPS records were taken at the s
pot. Siberian ibex sightings
were mapped
where possible
,
using a GPS receiver, physical map and a SILVA compass
in order to record more precisely their location, rather than just recording the given cell
code alone.
It is important
to cover large areas so
that the survey can better represent the snow
leopard and potential prey populations. For this reason, teams usually covered two or
more 2 x 2 km cells during the daily surveys.
Nineteen digital
Bushnell
camera traps were set throughout the study area.
T
wo
strategies
were employed to install the cameras:
one in
wh
ich the field team
identified
a good spot
to
take
photos of the snow
leopard and species associated with snow leopard habitat
;
the other based on
a
species distribu
tion modelling exercise performed on
previously obtained visual records of the Siberian ibex, the main food source for the
snow leopard
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
21
In the first case, the selection of “good spots” was guided by field experience and intuition,
whereas in the second it was presumed
that
a
reas of predicted probability of Siberian ibex
occurrence >0.6 (i.e., 60%) represent
ed
areas of prime
interest. The
results of previous
modelling
carried out
in the study area (Tytar et al. 2016 & 2017) show that the
se
areas
include heads and surroun
ding ridges of the streams Ayu
-
Ter and Kuyke
-
Bulak, ridges in
between and surrounding Chon
-
Chikan and Chaartash streams, upper parts and
surrounding ridges of the Choloktor stream,
as well as
an area in
between
the upper
reaches of Issyk
-
Ata
and
neighbo
u
ring
Kara
-
Tor streams. In the south
,
mode
l
ling indicates
ridges
sur
round
ing
the
upper reaches of
the
Kashka
-
Tor
stream
as a priority area.
In line
with
the cell methodology used in the expedition surveys,
these
areas are more or less
covered
by the following ce
lls: Y15, Y16, Z16, AB16, AC16, AE1
6, AF16, AE20, AF20,
AG15, AH15 and AI15.
For the first time live observations of ibex were accomplished (thanks to Sven Pelka from
group
2
using his
drone
)
.
Other species, including birds, mammals
(in particular wolves
,
Canis lupus
)
and butterflies
etc.
, were recorded whenever possible.
2.2.6. Species records and distribution
modelling
One major reason for snow l
eopard
population decline is the r
eduction in
the
prey
resource base. Siberian ibex are important for susta
ining snow leopards (
Lyngdoh
et al.
2014).
Understanding factors influencing
the
existence
of the prey resource
is a basic
requirement for the assessment of the species’ distribution and developing conservation
strategies. This knowledge
can
help to focus
efforts on protecting the prey species
that
snow leopards
rely on the mos
t, highlight conservation areas
and address issues of
overgrazing and poaching. However, the full distribution of a
prey
species, even within a
limited range
, often remains unknown, a
s field inventories cannot cover the entire
landscape. Fortunately, recent advances in computing allow for comprehensive mapping
of species habitat using an approach called species distribution mode
l
ling.
In such a way
even limited
ground surveys
can be co
mbined with
available environmental data, including
some that is
remotely sensed
,
to build
predictive models, which in turn can be applied to
broad
areas of similar habitat.
We used
Maxent
software
(
http://www.cs.princeton.edu/schapire/maxent
)
to generate an estimate of
habitat suitability
and
to
map the distribution of ibex
and marmots
in
the study
area
.
Input consisted of 103
georeferenced sightings and camera trap records of ibex collected in 2
014
-
2017
.
For the ibex data t
hree categories of predictor variables were employed: bioclimatic,
variables extracted from Landsat8 images
,
and terrain features.
The System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses (
SAGA
) GIS sof
tware (v. 2.2.7) was
used for
the preliminary data processing and extracting (clipping) images for the
study
area. SAGA is a Free Open Source Software (FOSS). SAGA’s analytical and
operational
capabilities cover geostatistics, terrain analysis, image processing,
georeferencing and
vari
ous tools for vector and raster data manipulation (Conrad 2006).
Final results were
processed and visualised in DIVA
-
GIS 7.5 (
http://www.diva
-
gis.org
)
and
QGIS 2.6
(
http://www.qgi
s.org
).
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
22
T
he Maxent computer software generates an estimate of
habitat suitability
of the species
that varies from 0 to 1, with 0 being the lowest and 1 the highest
suitability
. The default
settings of Maxent were used in this study
and w
e ran models with
25 bootstrap replicates.
Model performance was assessed using the average AUC (area under the receiver
operating curve) score to compare model performance. AUC values >0.9 are considered
to have “very good”, >0.8 “good” and >0.7 “useful” discrimination ab
ilities (Swets 1988).
2.2.7. Outreach
and capacity
-
building
activities
Involvement of the local communities through interviews and talks was an important part of
the
expedition
. Time was spent with local people in their villages, settlements and
surround
ing areas
,
in order to gather local knowledge about the area and record snow
leopard sightings, to investigate the level of human/wildlife conflict and
to
learn about local
attitudes to wildlife and natural resources.
Participants
recorded data gathered du
ring
interviews.
A new initiative to gather more data for more of the year was
also
started this summer
,
courtesy of a grant from the
Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation
. One task of the
expedition was to train c
ommunity members from the surrounding area in camera trapping
techniques in order to extend the study season
through the winter
months. Essentially,
these community members will continue to monitor cam
era traps within the Kyrgyz A
la
-
Too
between
expeditions. This new incentive will be a great opportunity for local
communities to learn more about their natural habitat and become more interested in
many aspects of conservation
. Results of the 2017/2018 community camera trapping
season
will be presented in the report
of the 2018 expedition
.
Herdspeople and their families were also involved in the expedition as paid guides,
trackers,
logistics, horse and food providers,
and
guest families for citizen scientists
.
The NABU staf
f together
with local volunteer placements
provided invaluable help in
communicating with local people.
2.2.8
. Petroglyphs
-
rock art
Petroglyphs are one of the earliest expressions of abstract thinking and are considered a
hallmark of humanity. Beyond their value
as an aesthetic expression, petroglyphs provide
a rich body of information on several different dimensions. They may shed light on the
dynamic
histories of human populations
and
the patterns of their migrations and
interactions. Petroglyphs have been us
ed
in studies of climate change
and the changing
inventories of species (Lenssen
-
Erz
&
Heyd
2015).
A large number of petroglyphs (
pictures drawn or etched onto stones
) were found in the
study site
. These
petroglyphs
left on rocks can provide evidence of the
way of life and the
environment of times gone by when there was no system of writing. Kyrgyzstan
boasts a
very large number of petroglyphs and recent m
apping of sites showed that
petroglyphs
a
re
found all over the country. I
t may be that some of the locat
ions found during the expedition
were previously unknown
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
23
An important theme in rock art research aro
und
the world is the acknowledgement of the
role
that
the images play in the landscape. More recently, field surveys in Central Asia
have beg
u
n to map ou
t the distribution of rock art scenes and
the
archaeological sites
,
which
ha
ve
made possible the generation of archaeological landscapes which plot the
features onto maps a
nd topographic contour models (Rozwadowski & Lymer 2015).
The
concept of landscape is
also important to ideas of cultural heritage
and w
ithin the past few
years rock art sites
have started to be
considered valuable tourist resources
;
they are
termed
"cultural landscapes
”
,
and are
important to the respective Central Asian republic in
which t
hey reside.
2.3.
Results
Seventy
-
eight
cells 2 x 2 km in size over a
n
area of
approximately
20 x 40
km,
located in
the southern Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
and neighboring Jumgal Too
ranges
(Fig.
2.3
.1
a
) were
surveyed for snow leopard and sympatric medium and large
-
sized mam
mals and game
birds. Surveys were conducted at an average
altitude
of 3
,
515
±
32
m
. Around half of the
cells
were resampled
two to four
times.
Records of animals of interest were made in 59
cells; in 54%
these
records were multiple (two to four
).
In
dividual survey teams
ranged
from
four to eight
citizen scientists
and
daily
search effort
s
took from
three and a half
to
ten
hours
, depending largely on weather conditions and
difficulty
of the terrain.
2.3.1. Snow leopard presence/absence survey
Snow l
eopard signs searched for during this study included: pugmarks (tracks), scrapes,
faeces (scat), urination, rock scent spray and observation
s (including camera trapping).
Finds are summarised Table 2.3.1a and Figure 2.3.1b.
Table 2.3.1a.
Snow leopard sign
s found by the 2017 expedition
(see also Fig. 2.3.1b)
.
Date
Location
(area)
GPS location
Elevation (m)
Cell
Notes
30
June
Kashka Tor
N
42.31031
o
E
74.76950
o
3591
AF20
Indistinct pugmarks in snow
5
July
Don Jalamysh
N
42.37108
o
E
74.47554
o
3720
T17
Old
pugmark found when
setting camera trap
18
July
Kashka Tor
N
42.30800
o
E
74.74625
o
3596
AE21
Pugmarks in soft soil
7
August
Chon Chikan
N
42.39303
o
E
74.71325
o
3669
AD16
Pugmarks in clay soil
23
August
Chon Chikan
N
42.39453
o
E
74.71186
o
3748
AD16
Pugm
arks in clay
soil
23
August
Chon Chikan
N
42.39400
o
E
74.71186
o
3735
AD16
Pugmarks in clay soil
23
August
Chon Chikan
N
42.39381
o
E
74.71183
o
3739
AD16
Pugmarks in clay soil
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
24
Figure 2.3
.1
a.
The 2 x 2 km cells
sampled in the
research area.
= base
camp.
R
ed triangles
indicate cells
where records
were made of
animals of
interest.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
25
Figure
2.3.1b.
L
ocation of cells
(shaded cyan) in
which snow leopard
sign
(pugmarks) were
found
by the 2017
expedition.
See also Table
2.3.1a for a list of
findings
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
26
Tracks (pugmarks)
These are more easily found in sand
,
mud
or patches of fine gravel. The
y
are usually
present at lower elevations, away from preferred snow leopard terrain
,
but
may be found
alongside streams and/or melting snow and ice within the
snow leopard’s habitat
.
Snow
patches left over from the winter and fresh snow cover were specifically examined
for
tracks.
Out of the
six pugmark records, six
were discovered in soft soil or clay and
one
(rather doubtful
one
) was found in snow.
Scrapes
These can be found in sandy sites (short
-
lived) and
fine
gravel (longer
-
lived),
both of
which
are rare in the study site,
where the majority of substrate
is
broken
, stony terrain. No
scrapes
were recorded this year.
Faeces
Faeces can be long
-
lived in ar
eas with little rainfall and minimal insect activity
–
the survey
area was subject to high rainfall and intense insect activity.
G
round
beetles, for instance,
were found at all but the highest elevations and are voracious
consumers of faecal matter.
Faeces
can be deposited solitarily or with other scats of
varying ages. Faeces are most
often found in association with scrapes.
This year there was no
sign of faeces
.
Urination
Urine can be deposited on scrape piles and is commonly
found
along regular paths
or
trails.
No definite signs of urination were
identified
during the survey period. Lack of trails
and
difficulty in finding scrapes were a contributing factor.
Scent spray
Snow leopards spray
-
mark the faces of upright or overhanging boulders and the bas
e of
cliffs. Some sites are periodically revisited and re
-
sprayed (mainly along trails). The
majority of spray sites will have one or more scrapes within a distance of a few metres.
No
scent sprays were
found during the survey
s
.
Observations (including ca
mera trapping)
None were made during the expedition. It will be very interesting to see whether the
community trapping efforts will yield any camera trap pictures.
2.3.2. Threats to snow leopard presence
In the course of the presence/absence survey, an
account was taken of human
-
induced
factors considered to threaten snow leopard presence in the area. Grazing activities turn
out to be the most common and are widespread. In the early season most of the grazing is
confined to
areas within the larger river
valleys,
foothills and
lower portions of the side
valleys
.
L
ater on in
the summer (with the depletion of the
pastures in the lowlands
),
herd
ers
move
their livestock
up the valleys, reaching altitutdes
where they become a
disturbing factor to snow leopards
and/or
t
heir
prey.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profit
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nati
ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
27
G
razing pressure in the area has considerably reduced from the former
communist
era
.
Many areas suitable for grazing have been abandoned by herders as
they are no longer
subsidised by the government. Today these areas are considered to be
“empty”, but
in the
past two years
the
numbers of private herders moving in are increasing.
Occasional horse droppings and car tracks found at higher altitudes indicate sporadic
human presence over most of the area. Other signs of human presence and dist
urbance
included bullet cases, hides, campfires and various items of rubbish left behind by visitors.
More trekkers crossing remote mountain areas have been recorded, too.
2.3.3. Prey base survey
Signs of
some
prey species during presence/absence surveys
were found to be fairly
abundant
and widespread in a varie
ty of terrains
. Siberian ibex
comprised
32% of these
records. No
argali
was recorded.
Marmots
w
ere
common at lower elevations (
62
%
of the
total number of recordings
), whereas
indications of snowcock
presence (
6
%) appear
ed
at
higher altitudes (these indications are mainly
droppings left over from the winter season).
The maps below display the cells
in which species with substantial quantitative
i
nformation
were found.
For instance, there were 22 obser
vations of ibex made in
eleven
cells
,
including one
observation made by using a drone,
and an additional eight observations
in
four
cells made
using the camera traps. E
specially noteworthy
are results for cell AC16
(upper reaches of Chon Chikan)
where
six
separate
observations of live ibex and three
camera trap records (
Figure 2.3.3a
)
of the same species were recorded
. Interestingly, this
is next to cell AD16
,
where snow leopard pugmarks were found. For the marmot there
were 118 observations (based on all t
ypes of signs) made in 50 cells (Figure 2.3.3b) and
eleven records of snow
cock
were
made in seven
cells (Figure 2.3.3c).
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-
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28
Figure 2.3.3a
I
Siberian ibex
s
igns
logged
by the
expedition
(cyan
circles)
Recording methods
are direct observation
(n=22) and camera
traps
(n=8).
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-
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-
profit
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,
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29
Figure 2.3.3a
II
Siberian ibex
signs
recorded by the
expedition
, indicated
by yellow aquares
representing 2x2 km
.
Red triangles indicate
cells where camera
traps were placed
and successfully took
pictures of ibex.
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-
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-
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,
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30
Figure 2.3.3b.
Marmot
s
igns
logged
by the expedition
.
Various re
cording
methods
, n=50.
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-
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-
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31
Figure 2.3.3c.
Snow cock
s
igns
logged
by the
expedition
.
Various recording
methods
, n=
11
.
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-
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-
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32
2.3.4.
D
istribution mode
l
ling
From the 25 model runs
used to model the distribution of Siberian ibex in the study area
,
the aver
age AUC was 0.884, with little variation (SD=0.016), meaning ‘good’ model
performance. Areas of predicted
habitat suitability
exceeding 60% are likely to represent
the greatest interest for conservation planning and
for
setting
snow leopard
research
priori
ties (
Appendix I)
.
These by
and
large include
the
upper reaches of Ala
-
Archa (
area
1 on Fig. 2.3.4a),
Kuyke
Bulak
(
area
2),
Chaartash
(
area
3),
Chon
Chikan
(
area
4), Jor Bulak (
area
5), upper
Choloktor
(
area
6) and upper Issyk Ata (
area
7).
All these are
in the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too range.
In the Jumgal
r
ange
,
mode
l
ling indicates
the
upper parts and
ridges
of
Kashka
Tor
and
neighbo
u
ring areas to be highly suitable for ibex (
area
8). Together these areas could
become components of a wider ecological corridor con
necting the Ala Archa National Park
and wildlife areas located further to the east beyond the Karakol Pass.
In terms of conservation, top priority may be given to the
Chon
Chikan
area,
the
upper
reaches of Issyk Ata and the Kashka Tor area, where there h
ave been multiple
records
of
snow leopard presence (in Fig. 2.3.4a these areas are outlined in red). In addition, the
Chon
Chikan
area may have
t
he opportunity
to become an important cultural heritage site
,
because of the high concentration of rock art (petroglyph
s) found in that area.
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-
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-
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33
Figure
2.3.4a.
Areas of interest for
conservation
planning and setting
snow leopard
research priorities in
the upper West
Karakol
.
Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
range:
U
pper reaches of
Ala
-
Archa (1), Kuyke
Bulak (2), Chaartash
(3), Chon Ch
ikan (4),
Jor Bulak (5), upper
Choloktor (6), upper
Issyk Ata (7)
.
Jumgal range:
U
pper parts and
ridges of Kashka Tor
and neighboring
areas (8)
.
T
op priority areas
in
both ranges where
snow leopard signs
have been founds
are outlined in red.
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-
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34
2.3.
5
.
I
nterviews
and other outreach and capacity
-
building activities
Fourteen
interviews
were
conducted
in different households
with
in
the local community.
These activities
involved
adult herders
, all
of which were
men
(
aged between
30
and
68).
In most cases livestock was of a mix of sheep,
goats,
cows
, horses and other domestic
animal
s such as donkeys, some poultry
and a number of dogs and cats. In all 14
househ
olds there were varying numbers of sheep (between 50 and 400
)
and horses
(
between
five
and
27), cows (up to 30)
and goats (between 30 and 400
)
.
The response to the question “Have you ever seen a snow leopard
and/or sign of a snow
leopa
rd
?” was
43% positive. Only one
interviewee sa
id he
know
s someone
who ha
s seen
a snow leopard or sign of the animal. Together
,
these responses
provide
evidence
for
the
presence yet rarity
of the species in the area, possibly exacerbated by its elusive
c
haracter, and the fact that herders rarely come into contact with the predator.
Nevertheless,
response
s
from local people
indicate that snow leopard
is
present in the
surveyed area and confirm
its
importance as a habitat for snow leopard.
When responden
ts were asked how they fe
e
l about the
snow leopard
, they
100%
reported
“liking” the animal (… “
our beauty
”…). When
asked about the
snow leopard’s
impact on
the area
,
57% were in favo
u
r of the animal
being present
, whereas the rest were either in
doubt or c
onsidered it to be detrimental by having in mind attacks on livestock. In terms of
significance for the country, 100%
respond
ed
that the
species
was beneficial
. All but one
of the
interviewees
knew
that
the
snow leopard is under protection in Kyrgyzstan
(t
he Red
Data Book of Kyrgyzstan
was often mentioned) and appreciated the legal protection of the
species.
From
these results, it is clear that
there is a solid basis in the area for developing
nature conservation initiatives and
extending
community invo
l
v
e
ment
.
Table 2.3.6a.
Community assessment of the impact of snow leopards on wildlife and human/p
redator relations
.
Yes
No
Don't know
Do snow leopards reduce the number of large game
animals such as ibex or argali?
5
8
0
Do snow leopards reduce the number of small animals
such as marmots and snowcock in the area?
4
5
4
In areas where snow le
opards live near livestock, do
they feed on domestic animals?
7
7
0
Do snow leopards attack people?
0
13
1
In terms of
c
ommunity assessment of
human/p
redator relations
, half of the
respondents
said that
snow leopards
attack domestic animals
when they live nearby (Table 2.
3.6a), but
at least three
respondents
stated
that this happens rarely. The overall impression from the
questioning is that
l
ivestock depredation
by
the snow leopard
in the area does not appear
to be a major issue, because
“…
there
are too few
…”
, “…
snow leopards live at high
altitudes…
”, “…
domestic animals rarely go to the elevation, where snow leopards are
…”,
…
it
hap
pens when livestock is far away and left unattended by the herder
…”
and
“
the
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-
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species can be considered beneficial to the area as long as it stays far up in the
mountains
”. A
s in previous year
s
,
much more blame for
l
ivestock depredation
was put on
wolves:
“…
wolves attack livestock
…”, which are considered by locals to be the most
serious menace threatening their livelihoods
.
Fewer
than a half of the
interviewees agree
d
that snow leopards can reduce populations
of
large game animals. However,
it is not qu
ite clear
whether
the
respondents
disti
n
guish
between “
reduce
populations
” and “
feed
on
populations
”. Those considering that snow
leopards can
not
reduce populations of
large game animals argued that there are “…
still
many ibex…
” or “…
there are
enough
sn
ow leopards in the area for them to have a
significant impact on ibex numbers
…”. I
nterviewees agree
ing
that snow leopards can
reduce populations of
large game animals were far from considering the snow leopard a
threat to populations of prey species,
beca
use “…
snow leopards just kill for food,
not like
wolves
…”, meaning their demand is low.
Besides this, there is a belief that snow leopards
“…
take weak
animals, act like sanitis
ers
…”, “…
regulate numbers of prey…
”, “…
keep
the balance of nature…
”, “
there
is a balance between snow leopards and their prey
”.
Again
locals consider wolves, as well as poachers, a bigger
threat to large game animals
in the area: “…
the real th
reat comes from wolves and ille
gal hunting
”
.
A belief
wide
ly held
in Asia
was repeated
, i.e.
that
s
now leopards feed exclusively on the
blood of their prey: “…
only sucks blood of the victim…
” and “…
the meat of
the victim is
white, because the snow leopard has sucked out the blood…
”. Only around a third of the
respondents
believe that
s
now leopards
reduce
populations of
small
animals
(
such as
marmots
and snowcock
)
. Others
believe that
they are
not a part of the
diet of the predator.
The reasons may be that “…
they live at different elevations
…” . A third
respondent
had
no opinion on this issue.
None of the
interviewees
believed that
snow leopards
attack
humans
and
none
had
been
a witne
ss of such an attack, al
though some
had
heard such stories told by somebody else,
or consider
ed that
such attacks c
ould
happen if
“
the snow leopard is threatened
”.
100%
of
the
interviewees
considered
it a
“good thing”
if snow leopards attracted more
tourists to the region, becau
se this could create more job opportunities
and generate
alternative means of income to the area
.
Many would be ready to sell local products (meat,
cheese, kum
is
, felt carpets,
etc.) and/or develop tourist
-
based businesses
, emphasis
ing
the need to “…
emplo
y local guides
…”, “…
develop infrastructure …
”
,
etc.
However
, there
is
also
a fear amongst locals that
business
investments may lead to corruption and spark
unfair competition with established travel companies.
In order to
launch th
is summer’s
new initia
tive to gather data
throughout
more of the year
(an additional six months),
c
ommunity members from
a village in
the surrounding area
(Don Alysh)
were trained in
the
use of
camera trap
s and trapping
techniques
.
For this
purpose
the
community camera trappers
joined
the expedition
in routine survey
work
and
installed
camera traps
at various sites
.
Once this work was completed, t
hey were given a
total of twenty camera traps to install and maintain over the winter in
a number of defined
wildlife areas in
the Kyr
gyz Ala
-
Too before and after future expeditions.
Results of these
efforts, i.e. camera trap pictures and data
,
will be retrieved during the July/August
expedition 2018 and reported on in the report
of this expedition
.
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-
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In addition, local people were involv
ed in the expedition as paid
guides
and
trackers,
as
logistics, horse
and food providers, as well as to host the expedition team
on its fortnightly
day off as part of a relationship
-
building and cultural experience.
Approximately
14
herdspeople and their f
amilies were involved in this way, deriving an alternative income
and receiving experience and training in the provision of tourism
-
related activities.
2.3.
6
. Additional surveys
Evidence of other carnivores sharing snow leopard habitat was also recorded.
These
included the wolf (
Canis lupus
) and the red fox (
Vulpes vulpes
).
Foxes are
present
throughout
the area, whereas definite w
olf signs were found
only in five locations
. Wol
ves
are
the major
predator
s
in the area
,
frequently
causing losses to
domestic
livestoc
k
and
f
or
this
reason
they are universally disliked by herders.
Camera trap studies
commonly record
n
umerous
species
other than the main target
species, but these
additional
data
are
rarely published.
They
may, however, provide
important informati
on about
the biodiversity in the region
and
documentation of species
thought to be locally extinct
or absent
(
McCarthy et al. 2010).
Besides Siberian ibex,
the
expedition’s camera traps
also
recorded
red foxes, badgers (
Meles meles
), stone marten
(
Martes f
oina
, listed in the Red Data Book of Kyrgyzstan: VII category, Lower Risk/least
concerned
-
LR/lc), marmots (
Marmota caudata
),
a number of bird species (Himalayan
snowcock,
Tetraogallus himalayensis
, commonly the Red
-
billed chough,
Pyrrhocorax
pyrrhocorax
,
Guldenstadt’s redstart,
Phoenicurus erythrogaster
, and the Alpine accentor,
Prunella collaris
).
An unexpected camera trap record was made of the Eurasian lynx (
Lynx
lynx
isabellinus
, Red Data Book of Kyrgyzstan: VI category, Nearly Threatened. NT)
(Fig.
2
.3.7a). The Eurasi
an l
ynx occurs in a wide variety of environmental and climatic
conditions, but is primarily
associated with forested areas,
which have good ungulate
populations and provide enough cover f
o
r hunting
(
Breitenmoser et al.
2015).
Local people
have
consistently reported that lynx is absent from
the area, although the species
occur
s
sporadically throughout the Tibetan plateau
and
is
found throughout the rocky hills and
mountains of
Central Asian
(Nowell and Jackson 1996).
According to the l
iterature, l
ynx
have been observed up to 5
,
500 m (Guggisberg 1975).
Our record was made at
an
altitude of
3
,
454 m. This particular individual could have been attracted to the spot by the
abundance of snowcock (numerous droppings
were
scattered
nearby
) and/
or Siberian
ibex (
smaller
females and offspring recorded by the camera trap
in the same location are
prey items for the lynx
).
Birds are convenient indicators of biodiversity, at least at larger scales, and as monitors of
environmental change (Furness &
Greenwood 1993). One reason is that birds have long
been popular with naturalists
both
amateur and professional,
and
with
citizen scientists,
and consequently their taxonomy
and distribution
are better known than for any other
comparable group of animals.
This year
the expedition’s bird list comprised
5
3
species
(Appendix
I
I).
One dead specimen of a grebe (family
Podicipedidae
) was found in the
upper reaches of Issyk Ata (above 3
,
600 m). This is the first time a grebe has been
recorded in the study area, ho
wever no definite conclusion was
reached
on which
particular species this was. Considering the altitude
, it
may have been a migratory black
-
necked grebe (
Podiceps nigricollis
); indeed birds of this species have been recorded
elsewhere at high elevations du
ring
their seasonal migrations (Lama
2017).
There are s
ix
listed in the Kyrgyz Red Data Book.
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-
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-
profit
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,
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USA
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37
Fig
ure
2.3.
6
a
. Camera trap record of lynx: 31
July 2017,
0
4:24
, 42.38928ºN, 74.55078º
E,
altitude
3
,545 m.
2.3.
7
. Petroglyphs
–
rock art
In addition to the b
iological surveys,
the expedition
continued t
o compile an extensive
database
consisting of
over 200
georeferenced records, of rock art in the study area
.
D
ozens of pieces of rock art
w
ere
documented
, particularly
in
the
areas of
Sary
Kol
and
Chon Ch
ikan.
Some of these
pieces
depict, for instance, red deer
(
Cervus elaphus asiaticus
,
Red Data
Book of Kyrgyzstan:
IV category, Endangered, EN C2a(i): R
)
–
a species
which has
disappeared from
th
e
study area.
Today the existing populations are located hundreds of
kilomet
r
e
s away.
Nevertheless, their prolific representation in rock art suggests that deer
was once a common species.
Fig.
2.3.
8a
show
s
the location of each petroglyph
in the
study area
where
red deer
has been depicted. In total seven such petroglyphs
were
discovered by the expedition (Fig.
2.3.
8b)
.
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-
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-
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,
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USA
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ons Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
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the
Conservation
of Nature
38
Figure
2.3.
7
a.
Locations of
petroglyphs in the
study area where red
deer has been
depicted.
See below for
petroglyphs.
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-
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-
profi
t
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,
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Conservation
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39
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Figure
2.3.
7
b
. Petroglyp
hs in the study area with red deer (numbers correspond to those in the map above)
.
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
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,
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USA
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Conservation
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40
2.4. Discussion and conclusions
Our modeling
exercises
based on the data gathered by the expeditions continue to yield
interesting and useful heat maps of ibex distributio
n (Fig. 2.4a) to guide further research
and conservation efforts.
Evidence from local people
indicate
d
that snow leopard
is
present in the area and
confirmed the importance of the study area
as a habitat for snow leopard. Subsequent
sign surveys yielded
confirmation of snow leopard presence by discovering pugmarks
,
seven
in total
during the 2017 expedition
. However, there
are as yet
no records of the
snow leopard through camera
-
trapping.
The expeditions have also shown that the habitat in the study area
is capable of sustaining
a healthy prey base for the snow leopard consisting of both primary (Siberian ibex) and
secondary (marmots, Himalayan snowcock) prey species
.
However, relationships between
the predator and prey species could be very fragile due to
poaching and
to
growing
disturbance from more herdsmen and their livestock moving into the area, and these could
be core factors driving animals out of the site, a notion
which was
corroborated by the
perc
eptions of local stakeholders.
As a priority recog
nised by NABU staff, improved anti
-
poaching control together with a temporary ban on hunting could have an immediate
impact on halting the decline of prey species and, by inference, snow leopards.
Further research is needed to monitor snow leopard presenc
e and snow leopard prey
population trends in the survey area.
Presence/
absence surveys will need to be repeated
in
the coming
years, using camera traps
throughout future expedition periods, as well as
including community camera trapping results from outsid
e expedition periods
. Finding a
trail and/or reli
c scrape(s) is a high priority as camera traps can be set
in these locations
,
increasing
the
chances of
determining
conclusive snow leopard presence through
capturing animal(s) on camera. E
fforts
to find sig
n
s
on the ground
can be guided by
model
l
ing exercises
such as the ones presented in this report
, showing places where basic
requirements for Siberian ibex, upon which snow leopards rely on the most, are
most
likely
to be met.
With the
end of a subsidised
socialist economy
,
a slow recovery of wildlife has occurred
,
but
the current growth of the
human
population in the country
, competition for pasture
grounds
and
other
development
s
may nullify this positive trend and drive the snow leopard
out of the area.
U
nder these circumstances
,
there is an urgent need for research (
into
population
and
life history parameters
as well as
threats),
and for
site protection an
d
management
,
through
to
developing justifications for a local network of nature
conservation areas.
C
onservation planning to protect biodiversity
can benefit from the results of the modelling:
areas with predicted high habitat suitabilty for the Siberian ibex were
primar
ily
considered
for this purpose
. Live observations and successful camera trap recordin
gs of ibex in these
areas, together with records of snow leopard sign, have allowed
us
to dis
cern
wildlife
areas
that hold promise
for developing a local network of protected areas.
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
41
Figure
2.4a
.
Heat
m
ap for planning survey routes and camera trap locati
ons; highest probability Siberian ibex areas
are coloured in shades of red, lowest
–
in shades of blue; red square
–
Base Camp.
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
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the
Conservation
of Nature
42
Liaising with local people
, who by and large have positive attitudes towards snow leopard
presence in the area,
will continue
to play a key part in the research. Continued dialogue
with herders is important, not only to find out what has happened in between expedition
periods, but
also
to involve them more
fully
in the research
, thereby building capacity and
providing
an
alternat
ive means of income, based on intact nature and/or snow leopard
presence
. For this purpose
,
c
ommunity members from the surround
ing area were trained
in camera
-
trapping techniques in order to extend the study season
year
-
round
. Essentially,
these community
members will continue to monitor cam
era traps within the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too
range
before and after future expeditions.
Community members
were
also involved as paid guides
and
trackers, logistics, horse and
food providers, as well as to host the expedition tea
m. This too provides alternative means
of income and helps to
b
uild
capacity and economic incentives based on intact nature
and/or snow leopard presence. This, we believe, is a vital ingredient
in
local people
accepting, progressing and embracing communit
y
-
based conservation initiatives and
areas. In addition, t
he
positive
attitude towards the snow leopard expressed by the
majority of local people could be the key to
the
success
of both research and community
initiatives
.
The presence of an abundance of
rock art sites
is another opportunity from which the local
community can benefit
,
because these rock art sites present
a
valuable tourist resource
for
generating income.
Going forward, we will c
ontinue to evaluate and map the current status of snow leop
ard
populations in the Kyrgyz Ala
-
T
oo range.
The fifth expedition will take place between Ju
ly
and August 2018 and will continue to work in close co
-
operation with the Bishkek office of
German conservation organisation NABU (Naturschutzbund = nature conser
vation
alliance) and its “Gruppa Bars”
(
anti
-
poaching and snow leopard ranger group
)
, as well as
the newly created community monitoring group.
Local people, community
camera
-
trappers,
student placements, as well as international citizen science volunteers
from
around the world will continue to join in the effort and, through their collective effort and
funding, make it possible.
Recommendations for the
2018
expedition:
Concentrate surveys on high probability Siberian ibex areas as guided by modelling
and
indicated on the corresponding map (Fig. 2.4a).
As soon as snow depth allow
s
access, install camera traps (in “hybrid” mode,
meaning both photo and video shots will be taken) in places of high wildlife
conservation interest: top priority areas in both
th
e
Kyrgyz and
Jumgal ranges
where snow leopard signs have been found
–
Chon Chikan, upper Issyk Ata,
and
upper Kashka Tor (Fig. 2.3.4a).
Continue to explore
remoter
areas east of the Karakol
m
ountain
p
ass
that might be
promising for wildlife conservation
(Donguruma etc.); set overnight camps for this
purpose (one in each slot).
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
43
Continue to build relationships with herders and interview people to gather local
knowledge about the area and recordings of recent snow leopard presence.
Working with NABU’s Grupa
Bars, local people should be identified and
continued
to be
trained as community patrols to gather evidence of snow leopard presence
when the expedition is not in situ.
Build local capacity by
building and
training the next generation of snow leopard
co
nservationists.
L
ocal students with an interest in nature and wildlife conservation
should
be selected, on a competitive basis, to take part in the 2018 research
expedition. Successful candidates will have to write up reports and hold at least two
talks
–
one to the public and one to their peer group
–
about the experience. They
will also be required to write a public blog.
2
.5. Literature cited
Abdykanova A. (2014). Kyrgyzstan: Cultural Heritage Management.
Encyclopedia of
Breitenmoser, U., Breitenmoser
-
Würsten, C., Lanz, T., von Arx, M., Antonevich, A., Bao,
W. & Avgan, B. 2015.
Lynx lynx (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2015: e.T12519A121707666.
Conrad, O., Bechtel, B., Bock, M., Dietrich, H., Fischer, E., Ge
rlitz, L., Wehberg, J.,
Wichmann, V., and Böhner, J. (2015): System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses
(SAGA) v. 2.1.4, Geosci.
Model Dev., 8, 1991
-
2007, doi:10.5194/gmd
-
8
-
1991
-
2015.
Fitzherbert A. (2000). Country pasture/forage resource profiles: Kyrgy
zstan. Crop and
Grassland Service, Plant Production and Protection Division, United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization. Rome. (http://www.fao.org).
Furness, R.W., Greenwood, J.J.D. (Eds). 1993. Birds as Monitors of Environmental
Change. Chapman &
Hall. London. UK. 356 pp.
Guggisberg C. A. W. (1975). Wild cats of the world. Taplinger Publishers Co., New York:
P.1
-
328.
Hunter D. O., Jackson R.J. (1997) A range
-
wide model of potential snow leopard habitat.
Pages 51
-
56 in R. Jackson and A. Ahmad, edi
tors, Proceedings of the Eighth International
Snow Leopard Symposium, Islamabad, Pakistan. International Snow Leopard Trust,
Seattle, WA.
Jackson R.M., Ahlbom G. (1988) Observations on the ecology of snow leopard in west
Nepal. In: Proceedings of the 5th
International snow leopard symposium, ed. H. Freeman,
65
-
87. Bombay: International Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India.
Koshkarev E.P. (1984) Characteristics of snow leopard (
Uncia uncia
) movements in the
Tien Shan. International Pedigree B
ook of Snow Leopards 4: 15
-
21.
Koshkarev E. (1988). Pattern of snow leopard migration in the Tien Shan. Bulletin of the
Moscow Society for Examination of Nature. 93(4):22
-
30. (In Russian).
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
44
(Koshkarev E.P.) Кошкарев Е. П. (1989). Снежный барс в Киргизии.
–
Фрунзе: Илим,
1989
–
100 с. (In Russian).
(Koshkarev E., Vyrypaev V.) Кошкарев Е., Вырыпаев В. (2000) Что случилось со
снежным барсом после распада СССР? Охрана дикой природы, №19, с.72. (In
Russian).
Lama, D. (2017). Bird Migration Across the Himalaya
s: Wetland Functioning amidst
Mountains and Glaciers (H. Prins & T. Namgail, Eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. 458 pp.
Lenssen
-
Erz T., Heyd T. (2015) The Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human
Mind, Chapter: Art, Rock Art and Climat
e Change. Karolinum Press, pp. 260
-
270.
Lyngdoh S, Shrotriya S, Goyal S.P. et al. (2014). Prey Preferences of the Snow Leopard
(Panthera uncia): Regional Diet Specificity Holds Global Significance for Conservation.
PLoS ONE 9(2): e88349. doi:10.1371/journ
al.pone.0088349.
Mallon D.P. (1988) A further report on the snow leopard in Ladakh. In: Proceedings of the
5th International snow leopard symposium, ed. H.Freeman, 89
-
97. Bombay: International
Snow Leopard Trust and Wildlife Institute of India.
Mazzolli,
M. & Hammer, M. (2013) Sampling and analysis of data for large terrestrial
mammals during short
-
term volunteer expeditions. Biosphere Expeditions, 23 pp.
McCarthy J.L., et al.
“Assessing Variation in Wildlife Biodiversity in the Tien Shan
Mountains of
Kyrgyzstan Using Ancillary Camera
-
Trap Photos.” Mountain Research and
Development, vol. 30, no. 3, 2010, pp. 295
–
301.
Nowell, K. and Jackson, P. (1996) Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan.
IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, 382
p.
Rozwadowski A.
&
Lymer K. (2015). Rock art in Central Asia: history, recent development
and new directions. In: Rock Art Studies. News of the World IV. Oxbow Books, pp. 149
-
163.
Schaller G.B., Hong L., Hua L. et al.
(1987) Status of large mammals in t
he Taxkorgan
Reserve, Xinjiang, China. Biological Conservation 42: 53
-
71.
Swets K. (1988) Measuring the accuracy of diagnostic systems.
Science 240: 1285
–
1293.
Vorobeev G, J. van der Ven (2003).
Looking at Mammals in Kyrgyzia. Daru Ltd.
-
Advisers
for Ea
stern Europe and Asia, Ltd. Bishkek. 247 pp. (English and Russian language).
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
45
3. Butterflies of the West and
East Karakol River Valleys, Kyrgyzstan, 2017
(Lepidoptera, Diurna)
Amadeus DeKastle
Plateau Perspectives and American University of Central A
sia
3.1 Introduction
Although the West Karakol River Valley is only seven to eight hours away by car from
Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, this region is very poorly studied with regards to its
ecology. Information on butterfly distributions in
this region is lacking in most
currently
available resources.
2017 saw the continuation of data collection in this region started in
summer
2015
,
when for
the first time efforts were made to study the butterfly ecology in
this region. As a result, the dat
a presented within provides a lot of new information that
enhances our understanding of the distribution of many of these butterflies. Elevation data
have been used in association with the
Parnassius
genus to determine if there is a
significant relationshi
p between altitude and distribution, which could be used in the future
to map possible altitudinal shifts with climate change in this genus, thus using them as an
indicator for climate change.
Figure 3.1a.
Map of the West and East Karakol River Valleys
studied with data points for each butterfly observation.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
46
3.2. Materials and methods
Data were collected during the Biosphere Expeditions project during the summer of 2017
from J
une to August. Citizen scientists from around the world were present during four 12
-
day trips that the expedition
was conducted
over
.
Although the main duties of the
expedition were not related to butterfly identification and distribution mapping, efforts were
made by many citizen scientists o
n
the expedition to catalogue the butterflies seen. This
was accomplis
hed using a smartphone app, Lapis Guides, that includes various citizen
science enabled field guides. The app essentially functions as a field guide, but allows
users to submit valuable location and image data. Data were collected along the same
transects
used by the snow leopard study, between approximately 2,800
-
4
,
050 m altitude.
3.3. Results
Table 3.3a.
Butterflies of the West Karakol River Valley, Kyrgyzstan, June
-
August 2017
.
Family
Scientific n
ame
Common n
ame
Hesperiidae
Muschampia kuenlunus
No
common n
ame (NCN)
Lycaenidae
Cuppido buddhista
Buddhist b
lue
Nymphalidae
Aglais urticae
Small t
ortoiseshell
Argynnis aglaja
Dark green f
ritillary
Boloria generator
NCN
Issoria Lathonia
Queen of Spain
f
ritillary
Melitaea solona
NCN
Papillionidae
Papilio machaon
Old World
s
wallowtail
Parnassius delphius
Banded a
pollo
Parnassius mnemosyne
Clouded a
pollo
Parnassius tianschanicus
Large
-
keeled a
pollo
Pieridae
Colias cocandica
NCN
Colias erate
Pale clouded y
ellow
Colias thisoa
Menetries’
clouded y
ellow
Pieris napi
Green
-
veined w
hite
Pontia callidice
Lofty bath w
hite
Satyridae
Coenonympha caeca
NCN
Coenonympha sunbecca
NCN
Erebia mopsos
NCN
Erebia sokolovi
NCN
Karanasa kirgisorum
NCN
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
47
Over the course of the summer, 21 spec
ies were identified
(Fig. 3.3a)
with 163 individual
sightings.
Some of these species provide new location data that has not been published
before
.
O
ne species (
Colias cocandica)
however
had only a single, doubtful sighting, while
another single sighting
of
Colias erate
was found dead on a glacier overlooking the
northern side of the Kyrgyz Ala
-
Too range where there is a known population. It
is
most
likely
to have been
blown up to this altitude and died there, rather than
having
liv
ed
there.
Species profi
les
Species profiles include photographs, natural history and distribution maps for each
species
observed during the expedition.
Note that all photographs and maps are the
property of the
a
uthor
(unless otherwise noted) and only permitted for use outside
this
report with
the
permission
of the author
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
48
Hesperiidae
Muschampia kuenlunus
Flight time
June to August
Elevation (m)
1
,
500
-
3
,
300
Habitat
Meadows and steppes
Food plants
N/A
Life cycle
Univoltine
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
49
Lycaenidae
Cupido buddhista
—
Buddhist
b
lue
Flight time
June to September
Elevation (m)
2
,
300
-
3
,
400
Habitat
Alpine biomes with lots of herbaceous plants
Food plants
Oxytropis spp.
(locoweed)
Life cycle
N/A
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
50
Nymphalidae
Aglais urticae
—
Small t
ortoiseshell
Flight time
Apri
l to September
Elevation (m)
up to 4
,
000
Habitat
Open areas and mountain gorges with a high density of the host plant
Food plants
Urtica spp.
(stinging nettle)
Life cycle
Adults overwinter in a state of hib
ernation begun around October.
They
emerge duri
ng early spring
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
51
Argynnis aglaja
—
Dark green f
ritillary
Flight time
June to August
Elevation (m)
up to 4
,
200
Habitat
Meadow areas in mountainous and subalpine biomes
Food plants
Violaceae spp.
(violets) and
Polygonaceae spp.
(buckwheats)
Life cycle
Species overwinters as a small larva
Photo courtesy of Koenraad Bracke
-
2016
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
52
Boloria generator
Flight time
July to September
Elevation (m)
2
,
500
-
4
,
500
Habitat
Moist mountain meadows and stream banks
Food plants
Polygonum alpinum
(
Alpine
k
notweed)
Life cycle
N/A
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
53
Issoria lathonia
—
Queen of Spain f
ritillary
Flight time
April to October
Elevation (m)
Up to 3
,
500
Habitat
Low elevation plains up to subalpine biomes
Food plants
Violaceae
(Violets and Pansies)
Life cycl
e
Species can overwinter as a larva or pupa. Bivoltine or multivoltine.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
54
Melitaea solona
—
NCN
Flight time
June to
July
Elevation (m)
2
,
700
-
4
,
000
Habitat
Humid alpine meadows
Food plants
Pedicularis spp.
(Lousewort)
Life cycle
N/A
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
55
Papilionidae
Papilio machaon
—
Old World s
wallowtail
Flight time
April to November
Elevation (m)
Up to 4
,
000
Habitat
Found in virtually any ecosystem from lowlands to high mountains
Food plants
Artemisia spp. (
Wormwood),
Ferula spp., Haplophyllum spp
., Prangos
spp.
Life cycle
Eggs laid singly on host
plant. Overwinters as a pupa.
Pupal diapause is
possible for up to
three
years before adult emergence. Univoltine or
bivoltine depending on location.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
56
Parnassius delphius
—
Banded a
pollo
Flight
time
June to July
Elevation (m)
3
,
000
-
4
,
000
Habitat
Western
-
facing rocky slopes, scree fields,and mountain meadows
Food plants
Cysticorydalis fedtschenkoana
,
Corydalis tenella
(Discreet Corydalis),
Corydalis gortschakovi
Life cycle
Follows a two
-
year l
ife cycle. Initially overwinters as an egg hatch
ing in
spring. Larvae feed for one year,
then overwinter as pupae the second
winter
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
57
Parnassius mnemosyne
—
Clouded a
pollo
Flight time
May to July
Elevation (m)
1
,
300
-
3
,
000
Habitat
Grassy steppe
d slopes as well as mountain valleys and river terraces
Food plants
Corydalis ledebouriana, Corydalis glaucescens
Life cycle
Overwinters as an egg
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
58
Parnassius tianschanicus
—
Large
-
keeled a
pollo
Flight time
May to September
Elevation (m)
1
,
700
-
3
,
500
Habitat
East
and south
-
facing rocky slopes in subalpine and alpine areas
Food plants
Rhodiola spp.
,
Sedum ewersii
(Stonecrop),
Sedum hybridum
Life cycle
Overwinters as a larva
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
59
Pieridae
Colias cocandica
Flight time
June to July
Elev
ation (m)
3
,
000
–
4
,
500
Habitat
Ston
y slopes and mountain meadows
Food plants
Astragalus spp.
(milkvetch)
Life cycle
Overwinters as a second instar larva
Photo courtesy of Josef Greishuber
-
2005
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
60
Colias erate
—
Pale clouded y
ellow
Flight tim
e
April to October
Elevation (m)
up to 3
,
300
Habitat
Steppes, fields, and mountain meadows
Food plants
Onobrychis spp.
(Sainfoin),
Medicago spp.
(Burclover),
Trifolium spp
(Clover),
Trigonella spp
(Fenugreek),
Alhagi spp.
(Camelthorn)
Life cycle
Bivolti
ne. Overwinters as either a pupa or larva
.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
61
Colias thisoa
—
Menetries’ clouded y
ellow
Flight time
June to July
Elevation (m)
2
,
000
-
3
,
400
Habitat
Southern and eastern facing steppe slopes
Food plants
Astragalus spp.
Life cycle
Hibernates as
a second instar larva.
Photo
s courtesy of
Josef Greishuber
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
62
Pieris napi
—
Green
-
veined w
hite
Flight time
April to September
Elevation (m)
up to 3
,
000
Habitat
Meadows and river valleys
Food plants
Alyssum spp., Arabis spp.
(Rockcress)
, Bar
barea spp.
(Winter Cress)
,
Brassica spp.
(Cabbage)
, Cardamine spp.
(Bittercress)
, Descuriania
spp.
(Tansymustard)
, Draba spp.
(Whitlow
-
grass)
, Erysimum spp.
(Wallflower)
, Lepidium spp.
(Peppercress)
, Reseda lutea
(Wild
Mignonette)
, Sisymbrium spp.
(Rocket)
, Thlaspi spp.
(Pennycress)
Life cycle
Bivoltine or monovoltine depending on the altitude. Eggs are laid singly.
Overwinters as a pupa.
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-
for
-
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t
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,
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Ireland,
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63
Pontia callidice
—
Lofty bath w
hite
Flight time
May to September
Elevation (m)
2
,
000
-
4
,
500
Habitat
South
-
facing river valleys and steppe slopes
Food plants
Brassica spp.
(Cabbage),
Alyssum spp., Arabis spp.
(Rockcress),
Barbarea spp.
(Winter Cress),
Descurainia spp.
(Tansymustard),
Erysimum spp.
(Wallflower),
Sisymbrium spp.
(Rocket),
Thlaspi spp.
(Pennycre
ss),
Draba spp.
(Whitlow
-
grass),
Lepidium spp.
(Peppercress),
Reseda lutea
(Wild Mignonette),
Orostachys spp.
(Chinese h
at)
Life cycle
Bivoltine. Second generation hibernates as a pupa
.
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-
for
-
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t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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64
Satyridae
Coenonympha caeca
Flight time
June to July
E
levation (m)
2
,
000
-
3
,
500
Habitat
Alpine meadows, stream banks, and stony slopes that face eastward
Food plants
Carex spp.
(Sedge)
Life cycle
N/A
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-
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-
profi
t
conservation
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,
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Ireland,
USA
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65
Coenonympha sunbecca
Flight time
June to August
Elevation (m)
1
,
500
-
3
,
400
Habitat
Sloped mead
ows and stream banks
Food plants
Poaceae (Grasses)
Life cycle
N/A
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-
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-
profi
t
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,
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Ireland,
USA
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66
Erebia mopsos
Flight time
June to July
Elevation (m)
2
,
800
-
3
,
500
Habitat
Meadow slopes in subalpine and alpine areas
Food plants
Festuca spp.
(Fescue)
Life cycle
N/A
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-
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-
profi
t
conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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67
Erebia sokolovi
Flight time
July to August
Elevation (m)
3
,
000
-
3
,
600
Habitat
Meadow slopes in subalpine and alpine areas
Food plants
Poaceae (Grasses)
Life cycle
N/A
Photo courtesy of Peter Sporrer
-
2015
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-
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-
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t
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,
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Ireland,
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Conservation
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68
Karanasa kirgisorum
—
NCN
Flight time
July to August
Elevation (m)
3
,
000
–
3
,
400
Habitat
Steppe slopes and old scree slopes
Food plants
Poaceae (Grasses)
Life cycle
N/A
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-
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-
profi
t
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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69
3.4. Discussion and conclusions
The region studied is alpine in elevation, but there are limits to
the elevation
at which
m
any butterflies can live.
This c
an
be due to a variety of environmental factors such as
temperatu
re or host plant availability.
A simple analysis was
carried out
using GIS software
to determine the species composition of butterflie
s living above 3
,
500
m
, a
n elevation
chosen as an approximate halfway mark between
the
lowest and highest elevation points
along
the
surveys
.
Of the 26 different species encountered from 2015
-
201
7
,
14
were
found at elevations above 3
,
500
m
.
In
2015
the
re were
nine sightings of seven
different species above 3
,
500
m:
P.
tianschanicus
(3 individuals),
P. machaon, C. erate, B. generator, P. callidice, A. urticae,
and
C. erubescens
,
each with 1 individual.
2016
saw
ten
sightings of
three
different species a
bove 3
,
500
m:
P. delphius
(5),
P.
tianschanicus
(4), and
C. erate
(1).
In
2017
there were
35 sightings of
twelve
different species above 3
,
500
m:
P. callidice
(9),
B. generator
(6),
P. delphius
(5),
A. urticae
(5)
, P. tianschanicus
(2),
C. caeca
(2),
C. e
rate,
P. mnemosyne, E. mopsos, E. sokolovi, M. solona,
and
A aglaja
(each with 1)
.
This gives a total of
5
4
individual sightings of butterflies above 3
,
500
m from 2015
-
2017.
U
s
ing information from various sources, elevation profiles for each
species (de
scribed
above) were used to determine if a species was “alp
ine” or not.
An elevation of 3
,
500
m
w
as used again for consistency.
Any species
with
an elevation range above 3
,500 m was
considered alpine.
Any species with a range of 3
,
500
m and be
low was not c
onsidered
alpine. T
able 3.4a
details the alpine
species.
Table 3.4a.
List of alpine butterflies based on their elevation profiles.
Species
Elevation (in m
)
Aglais urticae
up to 4
,
000
Argynnis aglaja
up to 4
,
200
Aricia agestis
1
,
700
-
3
,
800
Boloria gene
rator
2
,
500
-
4
,
500
Clossiana erubescens
2
,
000
-
3
,
600
Colias cocandica
3
,
000
-
4
,
500
Erebia sokolovi
3
,
000
-
3
,
600
Melitaea solona
2
,
700
-
4
,
000
Papilio machaon
up to 4
,
000
Parnassius delphius
3
,
000
-
4
,
000
Pontia callidice
2
,
000
-
4
,
500
Pontia daplidice
500
-
4,
000
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-
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70
Although the sample size is rather small (only 18% of the total number of sightings), we
can
expect that a significant majority of individuals found above 3
,
500
m would belong
to
one of the alpine species. The data show
tha
t over the course of
the
thr
ee years
of
research, 72
% of all butterfly individuals collected above 3
,
500
m are in fact alpine
species.
This means that 28
% of
individuals found above 3
,
500
m are outside their
established elevation ranges, suggesting that high alpine habitat is becomin
g favourable to
these species.
It is hypothesised that further study will show the
%
age of non
-
alpine
butterflies found above 3
,
500m continu
ing
to grow over time as a consequence of climate
changes in the alpine
environment, most specifically
the est
ablishment of host plant
populations at higher elevations due to receding glaciers and more
favourable growing
conditions.
Using this model, these two butterfly groups (alpine vs. non
-
alpine) can be
used as indicators of broad changes in the alpine environ
ment due to climate change.
Figure 3.
4
a.
A
lpine vs. non
-
Alpine butterflies above 3,500 m
.
Recommendations for
the 2018 expedition
The 201
8
expedition should
continue
using “Lapis Guides”
to collect data.
This worked
well in 2017, and with continued improvement to the app, it should work even better in
2018
.
T
h
e author will
continue to
conduct training of participants and staff during each expedition
group as it is believed that the
clearer understanding by expedition participants of the sub
-
project of collecting
information on the observations of butterflies in
creased the number of
sightings in 2017.
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Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
71
Continued t
esting of the hypothesis that
the
%
age of alpine butterfly individuals above
3
,
500
m will continue to drop as high alpine habitat becomes more favourable to non
alpine butterflies as a result of
climate change
.
This can be done using the smartphone
application mentioned above in conjunction with GIS software.
Further research to determine specific habitat locations for
Parnassius
delphius
and
Pontia
callidice
(two alpine species found in high numb
ers)
within these high alpine elevations.
This could include host pl
ant data collection to be cross
-
referenced with NDVI satellite
im
ages for future GIS modelling.
An attempt
to do this
was made in 2017, but
the
ability
of
citizen scientists
to identify
c
orrectly
host
plants
in the field
was an issue.
With better
resources
and training
,
it is hoped that
better results can be obtained in 2018.
3.5.
Literature used
Ackery, P.R.
(1975). A Guide to the Genera and Species of Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera:
Papili
onidae).
Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology.
31(4).
Милько, Д.А. (2016). Насекомые Нарынского Заповедника. Из
-
Басма. Бишкек.
Korb, S.K. (2011). A Distributive List, Biotope Preferences and Flight Periods of Butterflies
of North Tian Shan (Lepidoptera, Diurna).
Atalanta
. 42(1
-
4). 149
-
189.
Toropov, S.A., Zh
danko, A.B. (2006). The Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of
Dzhungar, Tien Shan, Alai and Eastern Pamirs, Volume 1: Papilionidae, Pieridae,
Satyridae, Bishkek
Toropov, S.A., Zhdanko, A.B. (2009). The Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) of
Dzh
ungar, Tien Shan, Alai and Eastern Pamirs, Volume 2: Danaidae, Nymphalidae,
Libytheidae, Riodinidae, Lycaenidae. Al Salam Publishing. Bishkek.
Tshikolovets, V. V. (2005). The Butterflies of Kyrgyzstan, Brno
-
Kiev.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
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Conservation
of Nature
72
Appendix I:
List of bird species recorde
d during the
2017
expedition.
Latin name
English name
Русское название
RDB
*
Acridotheres tristis
Common myna
Обыкновенная майна
Actitis hypoleucos
Common sandpiper
Перевозчик
Aegypius monachus
Cinereous vulture
Чёрный гриф
+
Alectori
s chukar
Chukar
Азиатский кеклик
Anas acuta
Northern pintail
Ши
́
лохвость
Anthus trivialis
Tree pipit
Лесной конёк
Apus apus
Common swift
Чёрный стриж
Aquila chrysaetos
Golden eagle
Беркут
+
Buteo rufinus
Long
-
legged buzzard
Курга
нник
Calliope pectoralis
Himalayan rubythroat
Черногрудая красношейка
Carpodacus erythrinus
Common rosefinch
Обыкновенная чечевица
Ciconia nigra
Black stork
Чёрный аист
+
Columba rupestris
Hill pigeon
Скалистый голубь
Corvus cora
x
Raven
Ворон
Corvus corone
Carrion crow
Черная ворона
Coturnix coturnix
Commo
n
quail
Обыкновенный перепел
Cuculus canorus
Common cuckoo
Обыкновенная кукушка
Delichon urbicum
Northern house martin
Городская ласточка
E
remophila alpestris
Horned lark
Рогатый жаворонок
Falco subbuteo
Eurasian h
obby
Чеглок
Falco tinnunculus
Common kestrel
Обыкновенная пустельга
Gypaetus barbatus
Bearded vulture
Бородач
+
Gyps fulvus (?)
Eurasian griffon
Белоголо
вый сип
+
Gyps himalayensis
Himalayan griffon
Кумай
+
H
irundo rustica
Barn swallow
Деревенская ласточка
Lanius phoenicuroides
Turkestan shrike
Туркестанский жулан
Leucosticte brandti
Brandt’s mountain finch
Жемчужный вьюрок
Leucosticte n
emoricola
Plain mountain finch
Гималайский вьюрок
Monticola saxatilis
Rock thrush
Пестрый каменный дрозд
Monticola solitarius
Blue rock thrush
Синий каменный дрозд
Montifringilla nivalis
White
-
winged snowfinch
Снежный вьюрок
Motacilla alb
a
White wagtail
Белая трясогузка
Motacilla cinerea
Grey wagtail
Горная
трясогу
́
зка
Motacilla citreola
Сitrine wagtail
Желтоголовая трясогузка
Oenanthe isabellina
Isabelline wheatear
Ка
́
менка
-
плясунья
Oenanthe oenanthe
Northern whea
tear
Обыкновенная каменка
Passer montanus
Eurasian tree sparrow
Полевой воробей
Pastor roseus
Rosy starling
Розовый скворец
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-
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-
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conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
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the
Conservation
of Nature
73
Phoenicurus erythrogaster
Guldenstadt’s redstart
Краснобрюхая горихвостка
Phoenicurus ochruros
Black redstart
Горих
востка
-
чернушка
Pica pica
Magpie
Сорока
Podiceps sp.
Grebe sp.
Поганка
Prunella collaris
Alpine accentor
Альпийская завирушка
Prunella himalayana
Altai accentor
Гималайская завирушка
Pyrrhocorax graculus
Yellow
-
billed chough
Альп
ийская галка
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Red
-
billed chough
Клушица
Saxicola torquata
Stonechat
Черноголовый чекан
Sturnus vulgaris
Common starling
Обыкновенный скворец
Tachymarptis melba
Alpine swift
Белобрюхий стриж
Tadorna
ferruginea
R
uddy s
helduck
Огарь
Tetraogallus himalayensis
Himalayan snowcock
Гималайский улар
Tichodroma muraria
Wall creeper
Стенолаз
Upupa epops
Hoopoe
Удод
*
Red Data Book of the Kyrgyz Republic (
Шукуров
Э
.
Дж
. (
гл
.
ред
.)
Кыргыз Республи
касынын Кызыл
китеби / Красная книга Кыргызской Республики 2
-
е изд.
Бишкек: 2006.
–
544 стр.
–
Текст на кырг.,
рус., англ. яз.).
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Biosphere Expeditions,
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
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the
Conservation
of Nature
74
Appendix
I
I:
Field interview datasheet as used by the expedition
FIELD DATASHEET: INTERVIEWS
You wil
l be visiting local people to find out about their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about snow leopards. This is
also an opportunity to obtain information about their observations of wildlife. Snow leopard conservation is, to a
significant degree, dependen
t on the understanding that people have about the snow leopard and of their relationship
to the animal. This interview is an opportunity to gain a better understanding of theinteractions between snow
leopards and the Kyrgyz people.
Interviews are to be c
onducted in an informal, conversational style. In order to establish rapport and help create a
relaxed atmosphere, begin by introducing yourself and state that you are interested in learning about what local
people think and feel about snow leopards in thi
s area. Emphasise that there are no right or wrong answers, and that
you are simply interested in hearing about their ideas and experiences with snowleopards.
Prior to the interview, ask if there are any questions. Once their questions are answered, sta
rt the process with, “Is it
alright for us to proceed?” Explain that you will be referring to this questionnaire as we go along in order to make sure
that everyone is asked the same questions.
INTERVIEW
CONDUCTED BY
DATE OF
INTERVIEW
PERSONAL INFORMA
TION ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE
Name
Age
Place of residence
(name of community)
Place of birth
(region)
Occupation
Sex
Sheep
Goats
Cows
Horses
Other
If you work with
livestock, what kind of
animals and how many?
(many is optional)
I
NFORMATION ABOUT SNOW LEOPARDS
I would like to ask you
some questions about
snow leopards
YES, seen a
snow leopard
(ask question A
below)
YES, seen
signs of a
snow
leopard
(ask
question B
below)
NO, never seen
a snow leopard
or signs of a
snow leopard
YES
, do you
know a person
that has seen
a snow
leopard or
signs of a
snow leopard
NO, do
you know
a person
that has
seen a
snow
leopard
or signs
of a
snow
leopard
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Biosphere Expeditions,
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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Conservation
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75
W
hen did you
see it?
Where did
you see it?
What was it
doing?
How do you feel about
having seen a snow
leopard?
Question A: If you saw
a snow leopard, can
you tell me about that
please.
Excited
Not
excited
What did you
see?
When did
you see it?
Where did you
see this?
How do you feel about
having seen sign of a
snow leopard?
Excited
Not
excited
Question B: If you saw
signs of a snow leopard,
such as tracks in the
snow for example (but
not an a
ctual snow
leopard)
Beneficial
Detrimental
In your view are
they good or
bad for the
country?
Good
Bad
What impact do you
think the presence of
snow leopards has on
the area
Can you tell me a little
more about the impact
that snow leopards
have on Kyrgyzstan?
Can you tell me how
you feel about snow
leopards in gener
al?
Like
Dislike
Neither
Do you like, dislike or feel neutral about snow leopards?
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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Conservation
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76
Yes
No
Don't
know
Do snow leopards attack people?
If yes, what makes
snow leopard attacks on
people?
Yes
No
Don't
know
If snow leopards att
ack people, are these attacks more
frequent in places where snow leopards live near
people?
Enter estimate
Don't
know
How many snow leopards are there in Kyrgyzstan?
Yes
No
Don't
know
Are snow leopards protected in Kyrgyzstan?
Yes
No
Don't
know
In your opinion, should snow leopards be legally
protected in Kyrgyzstan?
Can you tell me more
about that?
THE EFFECT OF SNOW LEOPARDS ON OTHER ANIMALS
Yes
No
Don't
know
Do snow leopards reduc
e the number of
large game
animals
such as ibex or argali sheep in this area?
If yes, how do snow
leopards reduce the
numbers of large
animals?
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
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the
Conservation
of Nature
77
If no, why do you think
snow leopards do not
reduce the number o
f
large animals?
Yes
No
Don't
know
Do snow leopards reduce the number of
small animals
such as marmots and snowcock in the area?
If yes, how do snow
leopards reduce the
numbers of small
animals?
If no, why do you think
snow leopards do not
reduce the number of
small animals?
Yes
No
Don't
know
In areas where snow leopards live near livestock, do they
feed on domestic animals?
If yes, can you tellme
more about that?
SNOW LEOPARDS AND TOURISM
Good
Bad
Don't
know
If snow leopards attracted more tourists to this region,
would this be a good thing or a bad thing?
What are your thoughts
about how snow
leopards might
influence tourism?
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-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
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,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
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Officially accredited member of
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the
Conservation
of Nature
78
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Before
we end our
meeting, I wonder if you
have anything else that
you might want to tell
me about snow
leopards that we didn’t
discuss so far?
Thank you very much for taking the time to explain your thoughts and feelings about snow leopards. Your
a
nswers to these questions will be useful in helping us understand how people and snow leopards can
harmoniously coexist in this country.
©
Biosphere Expeditions,
an international not
-
for
-
profi
t
conservation
organisation registered in Australia
,
England, France, Germany,
Ireland,
USA
Officially accredited member of the United Nations Environment Programme's Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum
Officially accredited member of
the International Union for
the
Conservation
of Nature
79
Appendix
I
II:
Expedition diary and reports
A multimedia expedition diary is available on
https://blog.biosphere
-
expeditions.org/category/expedition
-
blogs/tien
-
shan
-
2017/
All expedition reports, including this and previous expedition reports,
are available on
www.biosphere
-
expeditions.org/reports
.
