Afghanistan snow leopard trade booms

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3150667.stm

 

Thursday, 14 August, 2003, 15:04 GMT 16:04 UK

 

Afghanistan snow leopard trade booms

 

By Alex Kirby

BBC News Online environment correspondent

 

The change of regime in Afghanistan has fuelled a

determined campaign to hunt down the country's

remaining snow leopards, conservation groups say.

 

They believe the animals are one of the world's most

endangered big cat species.

 

The leopards are threatened by illegal killing and

trade across most of their range.

 

But there is some hope that new community initiatives

may safeguard the animals' future.

 

The warning over their plight comes from three groups:

WWF, the global environment campaign; Traffic, the

wildlife trade monitoring network; and the

International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT).

 

In a report, Fading Footprints: The Killing And Trade

Of Snow Leopards, they say the cats are estimated to

number from 4-7,000.

 

Not despairing

 

Stuart Chapman of WWF-UK told BBC News Online: " That

estimate is based on some reports that are up to seven

years old, and the situation has worsened in that

time.

 

" The true figure is probably closer to the lower end.

There have been credible reports of huge population

declines over the last decade across most of the

leopards' range.

 

" The trend is downwards. But extinction is not

imminent, because their range is so huge and so

remote. "

 

The animals live mainly in the mountains of central

and southern Asia, where there are few predators.

 

They are listed on Appendix One of Cites, the United

Nations Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species, which means they cannot be traded

internationally.

 

But Bhutan is the only range state where they are not

traded, despite the existence of prohibitions on both

killing and trade in most of the others.

 

Tempting purchase

 

The report says some of the skins and other leopard

parts are reaching areas like the Middle East and

Europe.

 

Stuart Chapman told BBC News Online: " UN staff have

seen leopard pelts being offered for sale in Kabul,

especially to foreign aid workers and military

personnel.

 

" They sell for up to $1,000, and hunting has gone up

sharply since the Taleban went. Before that, there was

no market for the skins.

 

" It's very disheartening when you see them on sale.

The animals live at such low densities in such

inhospitable terrain.

 

" Every pelt offered for sale is another nail in the

snow leopards' coffin, especially if it's from a

breeding female. That's why this report is so

disturbing. "

 

Sticks and carrots

 

The report says there is also an illegal trade in live

leopards and in body parts including teeth, meat and

bones: these are used in traditional Asian medicine.

 

The ISLT is launching an initiative to improve the

animals' conservation, entitled Snow Leopard Survival

Strategy.

 

Proposals in the three organisations' report include

stricter legislation and better enforcement in the

range states, and economic incentives to encourage

people to reduce conflict between their herds and the

snow leopards.

 

In Mongolia WWF is supporting a non-profit handicraft

enterprise that offers herders a chance to earn more

in return for protecting the animals.

 

Human competitors

 

Snow leopards are found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China,

India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal,

Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

 

Threats include not only hunting but loss and

fragmentation of habitat as herders encroach on the

leopards' fastnesses.

 

This in turn causes a lack of genetic diversity which

can result in diseases and birth defects.

 

And in countries where extreme poverty is common, snow

leopards are an understandably tempting target.

 

Images courtesy and copyright of WWF-Canon and named

photographers.