
Snow leopards attack cattle in a new site of Russia
Experts of Altai-Sayan Programme of WWF Russia launch the project in partnership with Sailugem National Park, a key partner in Altai Republic on snow leopard conservation.
This spring the rangers and scientists of Sailugem National park will go around the herding camps located on South-Chuya Ridge to collect data on predators’ attacks on cattle, assess the attitude of the herders towards the rare snow leopard, raise awareness among local people on snow leopard conservation, assess the conflict level and develop the conservation plan based on the findings.
During the expeditions in spring the rangers and scientists will also set camera-traps in the most favorable places for snow leopards and the sites where snow leopards attacked cattle in 2019-2020.
A female with two cubs captured by camera trap near the site of attack
Today WWF is discussing the possibility of compensating for the cattle loss in Altai Republic. If herders feel, they are cared for and left to deal with the problem on their own it might lead to a more positive attitude towards snow leopards that kill cattle.
Retaliatory killing of the snow leopards is a threat in the whole snow leopard world range. In Russia this threat is common only for Tyva Republic but still has to be addressed. WWF Russia applied all possible methods to make herders of Tyva Republic live in peace with snow leopards: compensation schemes, electric fences, repairing corrals to prevent predators enter through the ventilations holes on the rooves.