By tracking paw-prints and faeces trails in the
Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region, a wildlife research team has finally
learnt the approximate location of the endangered snow leopard
since starting the research project in September 2004.
???
Tomur Peak, in the Tianshan Mountains, is the only place where a
group of leopards has been found by the team, said Cheng Yun,
coordinator of Xinjiang Conservation Fund (XJCF).
???
It used to be home to about 800 leopards, and was one of the major
gathering places for the big cats, dubbed "masters of the snowy
mountains".
???
Sponsored by the International Snow Leopard Trust, World Wild Fund
and XJCF, researchers have been studying the habitat and illegal
trade of the leopards in a bid to evaluate and estimate the exact
number of leopards in the area, the threats they are facing, and
work out feasible measures to protect the endangered animal.
???
"A total of 118 imprints have been collected, mainly in the
Tianshan Mountains, between September and November last year,"
Cheng said.
???
Trekking along 67 lines artificially marked on the Altay and Kunlun
mountains, and Pamirs Plateau, totaling 48 kilometers, the team,
led by Ma Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and a member of XJCF, found no more than three snow leopard
paw-prints every kilometer on average.
???
"Their numbers are dwindling every year by several dozen or more,"
said Hu Kanping, an investigator with the team.
???
It is estimated that there are about 4,000 snow leopards left in
the world, 2,000 of them in China's Xinjiang area.?
They are endangered because of the deterioration of their living
environment caused by overgrazing and climate change. They are also
popular game for poachers. The number of wild goats and argali, a
mountain sheep, the leopard's staple foods, is also decreasing
rapidly because of overgrazing, forcing the leopards to go after
livestock. Herders regularly shoot the leopards to protect their
livestock and livelihoods.
Poaching is another threat to the snow leopard's existence.
"A complete piece of leopard skin is worth 2,000 to 15,000 yuan
(US$240-1,830) at Er'daoqiao market in Urumqi, the regional
capital," Hu added.
???
Er'daoqiao is the largest trading place for wildlife products, with
most exports bound for overseas markets passing through Fujian,
Guangdong and Shanghai ports, Hu said.
???
The team will conduct more research over the next two years using
more advanced equipment before it compiles its report.
???
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2005)
