Snow Leopard Trust
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The Snow Leopard Trust is now the largest and oldest organization working solely to protect the endangered and elusive snow leopard (Uncia uncia) and the 12 countries of its Central Asian habitat. The present total population of snow leopards in the wild is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500.[1]
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[edit] History
The Trust was founded in 1981 by Helen E. Freeman (March 10, 1932 – September 20, 2007).[2]
[edit] Mission and philosophy
The Trust works on projects that will help protect the cat and its habitat as well as meeting the needs of any humans that share the habitat area with it. Some of the approaches the Trust takes are based on co-operative work to change government policies, partnering with communities to build community based conservation programs, enforcing anti-poaching laws and supporting research efforts.
[edit] Snow Leopard Trust Programs
The Trust raises money mainly through donations, fund raising events and sales of products on its website shop. Currently there are programs in five snow leopard range countries but the Trust supports researchers and conservation organizations around the world.
[edit] Community based conservation
- When a region or area has been identified as a place of significant snow leopard habitat the Trust works with local residents to understand their needs and then jointly develop conservation programs. These conservation programs must meet four important goals.
- The protection of snow leopards and their habitat, involving local communities in this effort.
- An improved quality of life for the members of the community.
- The program developed must have a path to becoming self-sufficient – where after a time it is no longer dependent on donor dollars.
- The results of the program must be verifiable through monitoring programs.
[edit] Science and research
Helping to increase scientific knowledge about the snow leopard and its remote environment is an important part of the Trust’s work. In the 1980s it developed the Snow Leopard Information Management System (SLIMS) which now facilitates knowledge sharing of snow leopard research results around the world. The Trust also supports new technologies for researchers such as GIS mapping and Trap Camera Studies.
[edit] Grants Program
Conservationists and educators working on the ground in snow leopard countries often have limited resources and the grants program will support them in any projects that meet the needs identified in the Snow Leopard Survival Strategy.[citation needed]
[edit] Snow Leopard Network
The Trust supports the Snow Leopard Network, a collaborative network of organisations and government agencies from all over the globe working on snow leopard conservation.
