Russia (bbabo.net), - A full-scale count of the snow leopard (irbis) has begun in the republics of Altai, Tuva and Buryatia. It is in these territories that up to 90-95 percent of the Red Book predators from the cat family living in Russia are concentrated. The project was launched at the initiative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Russia. The snow leopard has become the second species of big cats after the Amur tigers, for which a new accounting system, developed last fall by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, will be applied.

The "census" of snow leopards will continue until the end of March. The first to register snow leopards, very cautious and secretive by nature, were employees of the Directorate of Specially Protected Natural Territories of the Altai Republic (Ak-Cholushpa, Uch-Enmek and Belukha natural parks) and the Sailyugemsky National Park. Among the Altai snow leopards there are heroes and heroines. Male Khan became the first snow leopard to be photographed not only by an automatic camera, but also by an amateur lens.

- Khan is a real lord of a vast territory, he is a dominant male on the South Chui Range. Researchers attribute to him at least 10 kittens from three different females. For the first time, automatic cameras recorded this powerful and beautiful leopard at the end of 2013, since then Khan has been regularly noted in camera trap pictures. On the Yuzhno-Chuysky Ridge, the number of the Siberian ibex, the main food of the snow leopard, is declining every year. Therefore, Khan travels vast distances in search of prey, at the same time patrolling his possessions. It was recorded by cameras in the western part of the South Chuya Range. In total, the snow leopard covered a distance of about a hundred kilometers, which indicates the excellent physical shape of our hero, - says Valentina Zyablitskaya, deputy director for environmental education of the Sailyugemsky National Park.

For her fertility, the staff of the national park jokingly call the female Chaganka the "mother-heroine". Barsikha regularly brings offspring, and has already replenished the group of snow leopards by at least five individuals. Scientists met Chaganka in 2016 when she appeared in front of cameras with two kittens. Two years later, she was fixed with a new offspring of three kittens! In the fall of 2019, Chaganka was spotted on a date, in the spring of 2020, experts hoped to see a new brood. However, this time Chaganka chose not to show offspring on cameras.

- Chaganka lives on the Saylyugem ridge, on which, it was previously believed, there were no snow leopards. And now the neighboring plots are inhabited by new owners - the young daughters of Chaganka. The snow leopard brings offspring every two years from 2 to 4 kittens. The leopards are next to their mother for 1.5-2 years, they learn to hunt. Then the young males separate, go to other territories, and their sisters prefer to stay within their mother's possessions, - explained Valentina Zyablitskaya.

This year, a record number of specialists and organizations will participate in the census of the snow leopard population. During the work, inspectors and scientists look for and record traces of the leopard's life (paw prints, wool, scratches on the ground, bullying on trees), collect wool and excrement for molecular genetic analysis, and check the automatic cameras installed earlier. Along the way, experts will also calculate the number of Siberian ibex, the main prey of the snow leopard in Russia, remove loops and traps, and record environmental violations.

A reconciliation of the snow leopard population makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of conservation measures.

- We expect that population dynamics in the Altai Republic will remain positive, but this does not mean that the threats to the snow leopard have disappeared. Poaching with nooses continues. According to our forecasts, the number of the Siberian ibex - the main prey of the snow leopard in Russia - will unfortunately remain low, - said Denis Malikov, director of the Sailyugemsky National Park.

In the Altai Mountains, the snow leopard very rarely attacks livestock, but this happens in Tuva. Therefore, this year WWF launched a program to create a compensatory herd. If a shepherd proves that his herd has suffered from a snow leopard (irbis attacks sheep differently than a wolf, besides, camera traps are installed on pastures), he can receive compensation. But not with money, but with sheep. In the spring, such a compensatory herd will be purchased.

Competently

Tatiana Ivanitskaya, press secretary of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) representative office in the Altai-Sayan region:

bbabo.Net