Police are checking on safety at schools and visiting karaoke bars and rental homes to root out perceived malcontents, after several mass killings alarmed the public.

It happened to be my birthday. Later that night, I sat near the fire, listening to indigenous women sing enchanting ancient songs in celebration. I could think of no better way to spend my birthday. *** The year 2024 didn’t give humanity much to celebrate. There were 56 active armed conflicts around the world—the highest number our planet has seen since World War II—destroying lives and the environment[1]. Climate change continued to accelerate, with climate disasters around the world taking countless human and non-human lives and costing the global economy an estimated USD 38 trillion annually—six times the cost of limiting global warming to 2 °C[2]. Yet, the recently concluded meeting of nearly 200 countries at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change failed to deliver any new announcements to cut emissions, and the climate finance pledges fell woefully short. We are already feeling the impacts of global inaction. Earlier in August, I had hiked with our India team for five days to reach a Himalayan glacier at the headwaters of the Pare Chu River. Nearly 60% of the glacier had melted since I was last on it 28 years ago. Our partner communities living downstream face existential challenges due to global warming. *** Today, as we look to the new year, and I look for reasons to stay hopeful amidst the continuing onslaught on Mother Earth, it takes me back to that birthday evening at the start of last year. For more than a month prior to that magical evening, our field staff and community partners had been tracking the snow leopard siblings, but their mother was nowhere to be seen. The last time she was spotted was on 9th November 2023, when the siblings were about 18 months old. Although nearly grown up and ready to disperse, the siblings still retained their adolescent awkwardness. They were clumsy hunters against the escape skills of their supremely capable mountaineering prey such as the ibex. On their own, and without a mother to guide them, they would probably stand little chance. But the young snow leopards overcame the limitations of being novice hunters using a simple but highly effective strategy: partnership. Working together, the snow leopards honed their hunting skills, brought down wild prey, and shared their meals. In partnership, there is strength. After spending time with the young snow leopards in the Indian Himalayas, I had headed straight to Samarkand in Uzbekistan for the Steering Committee meeting of the intergovernmental conservation alliance of snow leopard range countries. Environment Ministers and senior civil servants from 11 of the 12 snow leopard range countries had gathered for the meeting, where we discussed progress and best practices in ethical snow leopard conservation with them. At the end of the meeting, the Ministers issued a joint resolution[3]. This award-winning intergovernmental platform called the Global Snow Leopard and EcosystemProtection Program, is as unique as it is exceptional. It is unique as there aren’t many examples around the world of such long-term and effective intergovernmental cooperation for nature conservation. Most recently, thanks to this program and our amazing GSLEP Secretariat team, 23rd October was formally designated as International Snow Leopard Day by the United Nations, and in celebration, we collaboratively hosted a snow leopard exhibition at the UN headquarters in New York. It is exceptional because many of its 12 member countries have had recent and active armed conflicts with each other. Some currently do not have bilateral relations due to geopolitical disputes. But snow leopards bring them together. These countries partner with each other—and with us—for snow leopard conservation. In partnership, there is hope. *** It is nearly a year since I last met the snow leopard siblings. I know in my head that, by now, they would have long gone their separate ways. Yet, in my heart, I have an irrational hope that I might again see them together. That’s unlikely to happen. But I begin my year with much hope, as our field teams are poised to expand our snow leopard research and conservation in scale and impact in 2025. The Ethical Conservation Alliance, our recent collective effort to create synergy for more impact, ethics and social justice in snow leopard conservation and in nature conservation worldwide, is beginning to flourish. Conservation and Indigenous leaders from 33 countries are already partnering in the Alliance. They are jointly creating conservation toolkits, delivering trainings, and engaging with international treaties to bring greater Indigenous leadership and strengthen ethical practices in nature conservation worldwide. I am also thrilled to share with you that the village of Kibber, one of our community partners who—like many others—used to persecute snow leopards, has just received the “Wildlife and Tourism Initiative Award of 2024” in New Delhi, India. The snow leopard siblings were deprived of their mother’s care, but they had an entire village caring for them. In partnership, there is conservation impact. Together, we can create a better planet. I thank you all for your partnership, and I wish you a most joyful and fulfilling year ahead. Charu Dr. Charu Mishra is the Executive Director of Snow Leopard Trust Vision of Humanity (2024) Global Peace Index, Highest number of countries engaged in conflict since World War II: https://www.visionofhumanity.org/highest-number-of-countries-engaged-in-conflict-since-world-war-ii. Kotz, M., Levermann, A. and Wenz, L., 2024. The economic commitment of climate change. Nature, 628(8008), pp.551-557. https://globalsnowleopard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Samarcand-Res.pdf Photo credits: Shreeram MV, NCF/SLT, SARA, SLT/GSLEP, TOFT The post Partnerships for Strength, Hope, & Impact: A Letter from our Executive Director appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

The study took place across six sites in southern Mongolia encompassing mountainous, semi-desert steppe and desert landscapes where cameras captured evidence of one or both species. Researchers specifically sought to better understand how the presence of the larger snow leopard affected how the smaller Eurasian lynx (note: Eurasian lynx and Canadian lynx are distinct species) used its habitat and adapted its behavior. They assumed snow leopards were the dominant species in their shared spaces since they are roughly twice the size of their smaller cousins. Adult snow leopards weigh 34-46 kg, compared to Eurasian lynx which are smaller, but show a great variation in body mass, with reports ranging from 16-34 kg. Their research highlighted two main things: how likely lynx were to use an area when snow leopards were present and when absent and how each species used the landscape independently. They also looked at how features like mountains and vegetation affected where both animals could be found. Beyond habitat use, the two species most likely also overlap (to some extent) in their choice of prey. While the lynx’s diet in this area is unknown, there are not too many prey species to choose from, and the authors assume there must be some overlap.  Between 2017 and 2022, 619 instances of snow leopards were captured in 142 camera trap sites, and 68 instances of lynx were recorded at 31 sites. Snow leopards and lynx were both photographed at six of these camera trap sites. The data indicate that lynx are the subordinate species in this relationship. The researchers posit that lynx are likely adapting their behavior to avoid competition with snow leopards and possibly even avoid deadly encounters with the larger cats.  Where snow leopards were present, lynx favored rugged areas with shrubs (possibly used to avoid snow leopards) or were pushed to flatter steppe areas. Where no snow leopards were present, lynx seemed indifferent to the terrain’s ruggedness or the presence of shrubberies. This spatial separation likely allows the two cat species to coexist here, and the findings align with other known instances of a larger predator influencing the behavior and space-use of a smaller predator. Our earlier research in the Alay Mountains of Kyrgyzstan had similarly indicated that there might be a negative relationship, although a weak one, between the occurrence of snow leopards and lynx in a given area.  However, in our recent study, since lynx have been so sparsely studied in this region, we cannot determine whether these changes in behavior benefit the cats overall. While lynx seem less “choosy” about their habitat requirements, it does appear that the high visibility in alpine habitats could hinder a species that, in other parts of its vast range, tends to favor forests. The presence of snow leopards may restrict lynx to use very specific habitats which are either less frequented by snow leopards, or where lynx can be better concealed. Further west, lynx were nearly extinct from most of Europe until very recent efforts to reintroduce the species beyond heavily forested, remote areas. The researchers conclude that further investigation is needed to understand the specific ecological requirements required by lynx across their vast range, specifically in Asia. This will help us develop effective conservation strategies for both lynx and snow leopards across their shared habitat. Read the full paper here. Get all the latest updates when you sign up for our monthly E-News here. Photo credits: Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation (Mongolia), Snow Leopard Foundation (Kyrgyzstan) Acknowledgments: We are thankful to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for supporting our work and to the Tost Rangers for their skilled work in the field. SLT would also like to acknowledge: Acton Family Giving, Bioparc Zoo de Doue la Fontaine, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Disney Conservation Fund, Fondation Segré, Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, Kolmarden Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, National Geographic Society, Nordens Ark, Play for Nature, Tierpark Berlin, The Big Cat Sanctuary/Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tulsa Zoo, Whitley Fund for Nature, Zoo Basel, Zoo Dresden, and Zoo New England. Thank you to all the many committed partners who have supported our research in Mongolia along with our Long-term Ecological Study since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you. The post In the Shadow of Snow Leopards: How Eurasian Lynx Adapt to Their Larger Cousins appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

Where Are They Now? Collared Cat Updates Women for Snow Leopards Where the wild things go Celebrating 15 Years of Groundbreaking Science Snow Leopard Ranger Program Expands to Mongolia and Pakistan Where Spotted Kingdoms Converge Peek into the Life of a Snow Leopard Mom & Cubs Can You Spot the Danger? Take the Snow Leopard Threats Quiz How Do You Save a Foal from a Snow Leopard? Exciting Field Updates from the “Snow Leopard Whisperer” Meet the Snow Leopards You’re Helping Us Protect Remembering Dagina: Celebrating the Life of an Extraordinary Snow Leopard Get all the latest updates when you sign up for our monthly E-News here. The post Our Most Popular Stories from 2024 appeared first on Snow Leopard Trust.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had called a meeting of his security cabinet for later on Friday.

A vote on the Gaza cease-fire deal.

Rifts with Hamas and a far-right minister’s threat to resign complicated progress toward the Israeli cabinet’s vote on the deal, which includes the release of hostages.

With his far-right coalition partners opposing an end to the war and threatening to quit, the Israeli prime minister may have to choose: them or the agreement.

A countrywide alert warned of incoming ballistic missiles.

The president-elect’s vow to impose 25 percent duties on Canadian imports could ravage Canada’s auto industry and decimate Windsor, a city deeply tied to the U.S.