Nepalese conservationists announced on Friday that they had successfully radio-collared a second snow leopard near Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain.
The leopard, an adult male approximately five years of age weighing 41 kg, was captured near the village of Yangma in the Kanchenjunga Conservation area, fitted with a GPS-satellite collar and released back into the wild on May 21, according to World Wildlife Fund, Nepal.
Data received from the satellite collar will enable conservationists to identify critical habitats for the elusive species, including transboundary links across India and China.
“Nepal is proud to be at the forefront of global scientific efforts to get a better understanding of one of nature’s most elusive species,” said Tika Ram Adhikari, Director-General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
“Our ability to repeat the success we had with the first collaring in 2013 during this most difficult period for the country is a testament to the commitment towards conservation of the government as well as the people of Nepal.”
Collaring expedition The collaring expedition was led by the government of Nepal in partnership with the WWF, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project and citizen scientists from the local Snow Leopard Conservation Committee.
The radio collaring was especially vital in helping identify snow leopard hotspots and managing local logistics.
“As a science-based conservation organisation, the WWF was delighted to partner with the government of Nepal on applying new technologies to help us gain a better understanding of snow leopards,” said Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal.
There is an estimated 350 to 590 snow leopards in Nepal as per 2009 population data on the species. A snow leopard was radio-collared in Nepal for the first time in December 2013.
