IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Hafizullah, N.; Madad, A.; Ostrowski, S. | |
| Chemical immobilization of two snow leopards (_Panthera uncia_) in Wakhan, Afghanistan May & June 2012 | |
| 2012 Full Book | |
The snow leopard _Panthera uncia_ is a moderately large species of wild cat. Typically it occupies alpine and subalpine habitats between 3,000 and 6,500 meters asl in the mountain ranges of Central Asia. It is also known to occur at lower elevations in drier habitats. In Afghanistan it is found across the eastern part of the Hindu Kush mountain range and in Pamirs, Wakhan District, Badakhshan. Snow leopards are threatened across their distribution range. Overhunting of their natural prey, retaliation by angry shepherds losing livestock because of depredation, poaching for their pelts, and the capture of live animals for the illegal pet trade have all been documented as threatening factors and have resulted in conservation initiatives to protect the species. As part of a scientific study to document the range use and movements of snow leopards in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Wakhan District, the Wildlife Conservation Society with support from USAID successfully radiocollared two snow leopards in May and June 2012. The work was largely funded by the National Geographic Society (NGS), who took the opportunity of this operation to film, for the first time ever in Afghanistan, the capture and chemical immobilization of this rare and elusive species by a team of experts from WCS. Here we report on the veterinary aspects of this mission. |
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