What is the name of the Central Asian snow predator. The fauna of Asia - a list, types, description and photos of the Asian fauna. Hoping for the future

Member of the cat family - is majestic and beautiful predator. It has been badly damaged by human activity. It was systematically destroyed because of the valuable fur. At the moment - this animal is listed in the Red Book.

Appearance of a snow leopard

In appearance, the leopard strongly resembles a leopard. The length of the leopard's body reaches a meter, weight is from 20 to 40 kg. The leopard has a very long tail almost the same length as the body. The color of the coat is light gray with dark gray spots, the belly is white.

The animal has very thick and warm fur that grows even between the toes to protect its paws from cold and heat.

Snow leopard habitat

The predator lives in the mountains. Prefers the Himalayas, Pamir, Altai. They inhabit areas with bare rocks and can only descend into the valleys in winter. Leopards can climb to a height of up to 6 km and feel great in such an environment.

These animals prefer to live alone. They live mainly in caves. Predators do not conflict with each other, as they live far from each other. One individual can occupy a fairly large territory that other leopards do not poke into.

In Russia, these animals can be found in the mountain systems of Siberia (Altai, Sayan). According to census data carried out in 2002, up to two hundred individuals live in the country. At the moment, their number has decreased several times.

What does a snow leopard eat?

Leopards are hunting on the inhabitants of the mountains: goats, rams, roe deer. If it is not possible to catch a larger animal, they can get by with rodents or birds. In summer, in addition to the meat diet, they can eat plant foods.

The predator goes hunting before sunset or early in the morning. A keen sense of smell and coloring help him track down his prey, thanks to which he is invisible among the stones. It sneaks up unnoticed and suddenly jumps on its prey. Can jump from a high rock to kill even faster. Leopard jumps can reach 10 meters in length.

If the prey cannot be caught, the animal stops hunting for it and looks for another victim. If the prey is large, the predator drags it closer to the rocks. He eats several kilograms of meat at a time. He throws away the rest and never returns to them.
In times of famine, leopards can hunt near populated areas and attack domestic animals.

Snow leopard breeding

The mating season of snow leopards occurs in the spring months. At this time, males make sounds similar to meowing to attract females. The male takes part only in fertilization. The female is responsible for raising the young. Pregnancy lasts three months. The female makes a den in rock gorges, where she gives birth to kittens. Usually leopards give birth to 2-4 babies. Children are born covered with brown fur with dark spots, appearance and are similar in size to domestic cats. Little leopards are absolutely helpless and need their mother's care.

For up to two months, kittens feed on their mother's milk. Upon reaching this age, the female begins to feed the children with meat. They are no longer afraid to leave the lair and can play at its entrance.
At three months, the children begin to follow their mother, and after a few months they hunt with her. The prey is hunted down by the whole family, but the female attacks. Snow leopards begin to live independently at the age of one year.

Snow leopards they live a little: in captivity they can live for about 20 years, while in the wild they barely live up to 14 years.
These predators have no enemies among wild animals. Their numbers are affected by the lack of food. Due to the harsh living conditions, the number of leopards is decreasing. Man is considered the only enemy of the leopard. The fur of these animals is very valuable, therefore, despite the fact that this is a rather rare animal, hunting for it was quite common. At the moment, hunting for it is prohibited. But poaching still threatens him. Snow leopard fur is valued at tens of thousands of dollars on the black markets.

Zoos around the world contain several thousand representatives of this species. Successfully breed in captivity.
Researchers have been able to obtain very little information about snow leopards. It is rare that anyone gets to see it in the wild. It is possible to find only traces of leopards living in the mountains.

Snow Leopard belongs to rare and endangered species and is under protection in many countries. For many Asian peoples, this predator is a symbol of power and strength. On the coats of arms of many Asian cities you can see the image of a leopard.

Almost all wild cats, from huge and rather formidable to small and adorable, are endangered in one way or another. We offer you to pay attention to these amazing graceful animals, which are a real rare treasure of wildlife.

1. Asiatic cheetah

This magnificent cat once graced the expanses of the Middle East, Central Asia, Kazakhstan and southeast India.

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Currently, due to the destruction of their habitat, poaching and excessive hunting, approximately 70-110 individuals remain on the entire planet Asiatic cheetah living in the wild. All of them live in the arid conditions of the central plateau of Iran.

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2. Irbis (snow leopard)

Discovered in rocky mountains Central Asia, snow leopards are perfectly adapted to the cold desert landscapes of their habitat.

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Unfortunately, the chic fur of the snow leopard attracts a huge number of hunters. For this reason, there are only 4000-6500 of these beautiful cats left in the world.

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3. Fishing cat (speckled cat)

Unlike many family members who prefer to avoid water treatments, this cat is a professional swimmer, living on the banks of rivers, streams and mangrove swamps.

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In 2008, this species joined the list of endangered animals, as the favorite habitats of fishing cats - swamps - are gradually drained and become the subject of human attention.

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4. Kalimantan cat

Also known as the Borneo cat, this animal can only be found in Borneo island. This extremely rare representative of the cat family is listed in the Red Book by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The photograph in front of you is one of the few photographs of such a rare species.

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5. Sumatran cat

This cat with a slender body and an unusual (slightly flattened) head shape loves to feast on fish and walks by itself in the vast expanses of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sumatra. It has been listed in the Red Book since 2008 due to habitat destruction. The current number of individuals living on the planet is estimated to be less than 2,500.

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6. Andean cat

Among the two dozen small species of wild cats that exist in the world, one of the rarest, information about which is rather scarce, is an animal called the Andean cat. Alas, while millions of dollars are allocated to preserve the populations of its larger relatives from the cat family, there are hardly thousands left from the budgets of protective organizations to support such small cats.

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7. Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx or Iberian lynx is considered the most endangered species of wild cat. Also, this species is currently one of the rarest mammals on the planet.

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A disease called myxomatosis in the 1950s wiped out Spain's rabbit population (the mainstay of lynx's diet) on a huge scale. There are now only about 100 individuals of this wild cat species left in the wild.

8. Pallas's cat

These beauties prefer to spend the morning hours in caves, crevices and even marmot holes, going out to hunt only in the afternoon. Due to the impoverishment of their habitat, a decrease in food supplies and incessant hunting, in 2002 this species became endangered.

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9. Long-tailed cat (margai)

Margai are created to be ideal tree climbers. Only these cats have the ability to rotate their hind limbs 180 degrees, which allows them to run upside down through trees, like squirrels. Margay can even hang from a branch, clinging to it with only one paw. Every year, people kill about 14,000 long-tailed cats for their skins. This predation trend is fatal for margays because it takes them two years to produce offspring, while the risk of kitten mortality is 50%.

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10. Serval (bush cat)

These cats love to roam the African savannah. The serval has the longest paws in relation to the body compared to any other representative of the cat genus. Unfortunately, in pursuit of their elegant skin, hunters do not skimp on bullets and traps, subsequently offering tourists serval fur, passed off as leopard or cheetah.

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11. Caracal

Also known as the desert lynx, this cat is capable of making barking sounds that serve as warning signals. The caracal is considered an endangered species in North Africa and is considered rare in Central Asia and India.

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12. African golden cat

Only relatively recently have people been able to obtain photographs of this rare nocturnal resident in its habitat.

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The golden cat is only twice the size of the domestic cat we are used to. Life expectancy in natural conditions for individuals of this species has not been established, but it is known that in captivity they can live up to 12 years.

13. Temminka the cat

This cat lives in tropical and subtropical wet evergreens and dry deciduous forests. Deforestation, as well as hunting for skins and bones, have become the reasons why this species is under threat of total extinction.

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14. Dune cat

This unique cat has an extended head shape and fur growing between its toes to protect it when walking on hot surfaces. The sand cat is listed as a threatened species, and therefore hunting it is prohibited in many countries.

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15. Far Eastern leopard

The Amur (Far Eastern) leopard is endangered due to the destruction of its habitat, as well as the constant danger posed by people. According to the latest data, only 30 individuals of this species have been recorded in the wild to date.

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16. Sumatran tiger

The Sumatran tiger is the last existing tiger species in Indonesia to survive in the wild.

Despite the active policy of protective organizations in the fight against poaching, these tigers are constantly hunted, dooming them to extinction. World markets are constantly being replenished with products made from these wild cats. Under these circumstances, there are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world.

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17. Clouded leopard

Clouded leopard is considered an intermediate evolutionary link between large and small cats. This species has been placed under conditions of gradual habitat loss as a result of large-scale deforestation. Also contributing to the extermination of this species is commercial poaching aimed at the trade in wild animals. Total population size clouded leopard According to experts, there are currently less than 10,000 adult individuals.

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18. Marble cat

This cat is often mistaken for a marbled leopard, but its size is much more graceful and its tail is different. high degree fluffiness. Destruction of the habitat conditions of this species in forests South-East Asia, as well as a reduction in the food supply, lead to a rapid decrease in the population of marbled cats in the world.

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19. Bengal cat

The color of the beautiful Bengal cat's skin can vary from gray to red and white with a very light chest. This is the first species to successfully undergo an experiment of crossing wild and domestic cats. The result was a beautiful and quite friendly beast.

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20. Maltese (blue) tiger

This species in the East is considered almost mythical. Most Maltese tigers belong to the subspecies of the South China tiger, which is endangered due to the frequent use of body parts of this animal in traditional medicine. Individuals distinguished by their “blue” skin may currently have been completely exterminated.

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21. Golden Striped Tiger

“Golden Tabby” is not a species name, but a definition of color deviation.

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As a rule, such individuals are the result of directed breeding of animals in captivity, however, in India there is evidence of a meeting with a golden tiger dating back to 1900.

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22. White Lion

White lions are not albino. They are the owners of a rare genetic set that was distributed only in one place on Earth, the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Two decades before the creation of the White Lion Protection Society, this species was almost completely exterminated, so a unique program is now being carried out to restore the population in their natural environment a habitat.

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23. Anatolian leopard

For the past 30 years, this Turkish leopard species was thought to be completely extinct. However, in 2013, a shepherd in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır killed a large cat that attacked his herd. Biologists later determined that it was an Anatolian leopard. Although this story has such a sad outcome, yet it gives hope that the rarest species may still exist.

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24. Rusty cat

The rusty or red-spotted cat, whose length including the tail is only 50-70 cm, and whose weight is about 2-3 kg, is the smallest wild cat in the world. Humans know practically nothing about this species, whose representatives lead an extremely secretive life. Unfortunately, despite this, the rusty cat has already been included in the list of “vulnerable” species, since most of its places natural habitat has now been converted into farmland.

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25. Scottish forest cat

Known in the UK as the "Highland Tiger", the Scottish Forest Cat is now critically endangered, with a recent population estimate of fewer than 400 individuals.

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26. Black-footed cat

The smallest of all African wild cats, the black-footed cat has black fur on the soles of its paws to protect it from the hot desert sand. These animals are no strangers to rummaging through garbage in search of food, and this habit exposes them to great danger, since in this way they fall into traps set for other animals.

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2 min read

Red is the color of anxiety and approaching danger. In the late 40s of the 20th century, the International Union for Conservation of Nature decided that this color should represent the global inventory of animals that are at risk of extinction. It will be called that - the Red Book (Red Data Book, - English). The bright color was supposed to attract people's attention to the problem of the disappearance of rare species of plants and animals.

The original material is published on the LIVEN website. Living Asia. The authors of the article are Aidana Toktar kyzy, Gulim Amirkhanova. The artist is Varvara Panyushkina.

The Red Book has since been published in many countries every few years. And more and more often animals are falling into it, the numbers of which were large even 20-30 years ago.

In 2014, WWF ( World Fund Wildlife) released a report that revealed a shocking figure - the number of wild animals has halved over the past 40 years. By the way, the number of people, on the contrary, has doubled from 3.7 billion to 7 billion people.

12 Red Book species are on the verge of extinction in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.

Some of them are killed because of their beautiful fur, others because of their branchy horns, which are supposedly good for health.

They are killed as pests when they come to a person's dwelling in search of food.

Some of these animals are losing their habitual habitats due to human economic activities.

Even the golden eagle, a bird that has become a symbol of almost all Central Asian countries, is included in the Red Book.

It’s hard to believe - since the mid-80s, the golden eagle has been in the “Rare bird with declining numbers” category.

Manul

Manul. Photo: Albinfo

The most unusual cat of the wild steppes. Her feature is round eyes.

This animal has gorgeous fur. And because of him, he is on the verge of extinction.

Pallas's fur is fluffy and thick. There are 9000 hairs per square meter!

Pallas's cat has been in the "nearly vulnerable" category for many years.

View: Predatory mammal cat family.

Habitat: Pallas's cat is widespread in Central Asia, from Southern Transcaucasia and western Iran to Transbaikalia, Mongolia and Northwestern China. In Central Asia, it is found in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Nutrition: It feeds almost exclusively on pikas and mouse-like rodents, occasionally catching ground squirrels, tolai hares, marmots and birds.

IN summer period When there is no pika, the Pallas's cat compensates for the lack of food by eating insects.

Peculiarity: Interestingly, in ancient Greek, the name of the manul is Otocolobus manul, which means "ugly ear."

Reproduction: The animal reproduces only once a year. This happens between February and March. Pregnancy lasts about 60 days, and kittens are born in April-May, from 2 to 6 individuals.

The exact number of manul has not been determined, but one thing is known - it is on the verge of extinction.

Due to the fact that these animals lead an extremely lonely lifestyle, they do not reproduce in the right numbers.

In addition, the manul suffers at the hands of people: poaching for the sake of fur, traps that are set to catch foxes and hares, but where the manuls often fall.

The decrease in the number of this species is also affected by a reduction in the food supply: marmots and other rodents.

Saiga antelope

Saiga.

Antelopes with sad eyes are in distress. Over the course of a hundred years, their population dropped from 2 million to 40 thousand individuals!

Such a decrease in population can be equated to an environmental disaster.

View: Artiodactyl mammal from the antelope subfamily.

Habitat: Now saigas live in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, sometimes they enter the territory of Turkmenistan, in Russia (in Kalmykia, Astrakhan region, Altai Republic) and western Mongolia.

Nutrition: Saigas are herbivores and eat a wide variety of plant species (quinoa, wormwood, wheatgrass, etc.), including those that are poisonous to other animal species.

Peculiarity: Only males grow antlers; the nose in the form of a soft, swollen, mobile proboscis with rounded close nostrils creates the effect of a “humpbacked muzzle”.

Reproduction: The mating season begins in November, when males compete for possession of the female. The winner of the fight gets everything, and this is a whole “harem” consisting of 5-50 females.

The cubs appear in late spring and early summer. Young females often give birth one at a time, and adults (in two out of three cases) give birth to two cubs.

Reasons for population decline: In the 50s of the 19th century, the number of saiga was almost 2 million individuals in the world; today this figure has decreased to less than 40 thousand.

Most animals die in Kazakhstan. From 2010 to 2015, 132 thousand saigas died here.

At the moment, the official cause of the mass mortality of saiga is considered to be the causative agent of hemarrogic septicemia (pasteurellosis) - Pasteurella multocida type B.

Saigas also die due to the inability to get food from under the ice, which they cannot break with their hooves, and due to poaching.

Saiga horns are in great demand in Chinese alternative medicine for allegedly having healing properties.

There is a moratorium on saiga hunting in Kazakhstan until 2021, but despite this, a “black market” for the sale of saiga horns is thriving in the country.

Irbis

The camera captured a leopard in the area of ​​Sarychat, Kyrgyzstan. Photo credit: NCF/SLT/HPFD/Rishi Sharma (NCF: Nature Conservation Foundation, SLT: Snow Leopard Trust, HPFD: Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, India)

Snow leopard, or snow leopard, or Irbis. It belongs to an endangered species of animals - the number decreases from year to year.

View: A large predatory mammal from the cat family.

Habitat: Inhabits the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

Nutrition: The snow leopard is so powerful that it can cope with prey three times its mass. This is why snow leopards prefer larger prey, like ungulates.

Blue sheep, mountain goats, argali, tar, roe deer, deer, deer, wild boar and other species can become a complete lunch or dinner for the snow leopard.

Sometimes it also feeds on small animals atypical for its diet, such as gophers, pikas and birds - snowcocks, pheasants and chukars.

Peculiarity: Snow leopard for a long time considered a relative of the leopard - due to its external resemblance. But scientists conducted genetic studies and found that the snow leopard is close to tigers, and perhaps even closer to the panther genus.

Currently still considered a separate genus of Uncia (Snow Leopards). Due to the inaccessibility of the animal’s habitats and its small numbers, it still remains poorly studied by scientists.

Reproduction: Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age. The breeding season occurs at the end of winter or the very beginning of spring.

The female gives birth to 3-5 cubs at a time every 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 90-110 days.

Reasons for population decline: Due to constant persecution by humans, the number of snow leopards is continuously declining. Poachers are attracted by the good money that can be obtained for leopard fur.

The total number of representatives of the species in the wild, as of 2003, is estimated to be between 4,080 and 6,590 individuals.

Golden eagle

Golden eagle. Photo: Boris Gubin

Despite the fact that golden eagles are domesticated, they themselves are free-spirited birds. Naturally, they live best in freedom.

Over the past centuries, the golden eagle has disappeared from many areas where it previously lived. The reason for this was their mass extermination, urbanization and the use of land for economic needs.

View: Bird of prey of the hawk family.

Habitat: Distributed in all countries of Central Asia. Lives in the mountains, to a lesser extent on the plains. Avoids residential areas and is sensitive to human disturbance.

Nutrition: Hunts a wide variety of game, most often hares, rodents and many species of birds. Sometimes attacks sheep, calves and baby deer.

Peculiarity: The habitat is wide, but wherever it lives it is a rare and small species.

Reproduction: Golden eagles are ready to breed at four or five years of age. A typically monogamous bird, this eagle remains maritally faithful for many years as long as the other member of the pair is alive.

If the birds are not disturbed, they use the same nesting site for several years in a row, while the male and female protect it from other bird predators all year round and try not to leave even in the cold winter. Two eggs are incubated in the nest, usually one survives.

Reasons for population decline: In addition to poaching and human economic activity, the use of pesticides appears to influence the decline in the golden eagles population.

Since golden eagles are at the top of the food chain, their bodies accumulate toxic substances obtained through food - rodents. This affected, first of all, the reproductive system of predators.

The shells of their eggs began to become very thin - the birds simply crushed the eggs while incubating. Given that eagle fertility is already quite low, this has led to a sharp decline in golden eagle populations in most agricultural areas.

Jeyran

Jeyran. Photo: Akipress

The slender, fast gazelle lives in Central Asia and, fortunately, its numbers are now recovering.

However, the goitered gazelle is in a vulnerable position - the animal is often hunted for its meat and horns.

View: An artiodactyl mammal from the genus of gazelles of the bovid family.

Habitat: Goitered gazelle is found in desert and semi-desert regions of Iran, Armenia, Afghanistan, West Pakistan, southern Mongolia and China (Xinjiang, northern Tibet and Suiyuan); Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Nutrition: Goitered gazelles feed on herbaceous and shrubby plants.

Reproduction: At the beginning of the rut (October-November), males build latrines (pits with excrement), thus marking their territory.

They collect a harem of 2-5 females, which they protect by engaging in fights with other males. Pregnancy in females lasts 5.5 months. There are 1-2 cubs in a litter.

Reasons for population decline: Dzheyran is included in the “vulnerable population” category. In the past the gazelle was frequent object hunting.

It was one of the main sources of food for shepherds of Southern Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. Currently, hunting for goitered gazelle is prohibited in many countries.

Common lynx

Lynx is one of the inhabitants of the Karakol zoo.

The lynx is a predatory cat, which is also at risk due to its valuable fur.

The animal population is now close to recovery - this is the result of a long-term ban on hunting and attempts by scientists to restore the number of animals.

View: A mammal from the lynx family.

Habitat: Lynx is found in middle lane Russia, Georgia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Croatia, Albania, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine (in the Carpathians), Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Nutrition: The basis of its diet is white hares. She also constantly hunts grouse birds, small rodents, and less often small ungulates. Occasionally attacks domestic cats and dogs.

It can also feed on partridges, hazel grouse, foxes, beavers, small rodents, wild boars, fallow deer and deer.

Peculiarity: Lives sedentary, but due to a lot of snow and lack of food, can make long journeys

Reproduction: The lynx's rut ​​is in March. From February to March, the female is followed by several males, who fight fiercely among themselves. Pregnancy in females lasts 63-70 days. There are usually 2-3 (very rarely 4-5) deaf and blind lynx pups in a litter.

Reasons for population decline: Lack of food and poaching. Successful attempts have now been made to revive the lynx population.

Maral. Tugai red deer

Maral.

The only one of 7-8 subspecies of red deer living in the desert zone. More than 90% of the total population of this deer is located on the territory of the Central Asian republics.

In Kazakhstan, the red deer was found in a large area of ​​the eastern half of the republic.

As a result of intensive hunting, by the beginning of the 20th century the deer was almost completely exterminated. There is no information about the past abundance of tugai deer.

As they write in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, most likely this species has never been numerous.

In 1996, the Red Book of Kazakhstan mentioned that the number of deer in this country had increased to 200 individuals.

View: An artiodactyl mammal from the deer family.

Habitat: Territory of Central Asia.

Nutrition: Red deer eat a wide variety of foods. The main food of this animal is herbaceous vegetation, cereals, and legumes.

Peculiarity: In the floodplain of the Syrdarya, tugai deer made seasonal migrations. With the disappearance of water in the Kyzylkum desert, they moved from the desert to the Syrdarya River and returned back only when snow fell.

In Tajikistan, in the Romit mountain reserve, tugai deer live in the belt deciduous forests and landings fruit trees, rising in snowless times to the high-mountain juniper forests.

Reproduction: Males are ready to breed at 2-3 years of age when total duration life is about 20 years. Females become sexually mature earlier - by 14-16 months.

Pregnancy lasts 8.5 months, and fawns are born between mid-May and mid-July. Females usually give birth to one fawn, rarely two.

Reasons for population decline: Tugai deer disappeared in Kazakhstan as a result of direct extermination.

The degradation of habitats as a result of human economic activity is also of significant importance: uprooting and burning of tugai forest and reed beds, plowing of floodplain lands and haymaking, regulation of river flow, unlimited grazing.

Menzbier's Marmot

Menzbier's Marmot. Photo: ecosedi

The greatest harm to the Menzbir marmot population is caused by intensive poaching, shepherds' dogs, and grazing.

View: Mammal rodent of the squirrel family.

Habitat: The world range consists of only three isolated participants in the Western Tien Shan: Chatkal (Uzbekistan), Kuramin (Kazakhstan), Talas (Kyrgyzstan).

Nutrition: In spring it feeds on rhizomes, bulbs and sprouts of ephemerals and ephemeroids, and in summer on green succulent parts of plants: shoots, leaves, flowers. In spring and early summer it eats earthworms, beetles, and mollusks.

Peculiarity: One of the characteristics by which the Menzbier marmot is classified as an independent species is the baculum, which differs in structure, a bone formed in the connective tissue of the penis.

The baculum of the Menzbier marmot, unlike other species of marmots, is almost straight and does not have a widening at the end.

Reproduction: It breeds once a year. The rut occurs before the marmots emerge from their holes and immediately after it (March-April). There are 2-7 young in a brood, usually 3-4.

Reasons for population decline: Thriving poaching and intense economic use habitats.

Stone marten

Stone marten. Photo: Victor Ganin

The stone marten is the only species of marten that is not afraid to live near humans.

Despite this ability, its numbers were once on the verge of extinction. Today the numbers have recovered. It is not a particularly rare species, but its numbers are declining in some areas.

View: A predatory mammal from the mustelid family.

Habitat: The stone marten inhabits most of Eurasia. Its range stretches from the Iberian Peninsula to Mongolia and the Himalayas.

Nutrition: Stone martens are omnivores that eat primarily meat.

Hunted small mammals(for example, rodents or rabbits), birds and their eggs, frogs, insects and others.

In summer, an important part of their diet is plant food, which includes berries and fruits.

Peculiarity: The body is covered with brown, fawn-colored fur and has a white spot on its chest, which is why it is sometimes called “white-haired.”

Reproduction: Mating takes place from June to August, but the offspring are born only in the spring (from March to April).

Thus, semen conservation and pregnancy (one month) together amount to 8 months. As a rule, three or four cubs are born at a time.

Reasons for population decline: The stone marten is sometimes hunted for its fur, but on a more modest scale than is done in relation to the pine marten, since the fur stone marten considered less valuable.

It is also persecuted as a “pest” that enters chicken coops or rabbit pens and also dies due to its high infestation of helminths.

Markhor goat

Markhor. Photo: Klaus Rudolf

What can connect mountain goat with a snake? The fact is that the name “markhor” is translated from Persian as “snake eater”.

This is where the belief came from that a horned goat kills snakes. True, the markhor, unfortunately, could not protect itself from people.

Because of unusual shape horns, poachers from all over the world hunt for it as a prestigious trophy. Today, markhors can only be found in nature reserves and inaccessible mountainous areas.

View: Artiodactyl mammal of the genus of mountain goats.

Habitat: Distributed in the Western Himalayas, Kashmir, Little Tibet and Afghanistan, as well as in the mountains along the Pyanj River, the Kugitangtau, Babatag and Darvaz ranges in Tajikistan.

Nutrition: It feeds on grass and leaves.

Reproduction: The markhor rut begins in mid-November and ends by January. Having discovered a receptive female, the dominant male follows her for several days, driving away other contenders. After 5 months, she gives birth to 1-2 kids.

Reasons for population decline: The main reason for the sharp decline in the number of markhors is poaching.

Poachers show particular interest in the animal’s luxurious horns. At the same time, the largest healthy males - the owners of the largest horns - are knocked out of the population.

The decrease in the population of this species and the development of sheep farming also affected it. Due to grazing by livestock, wild goats were forced out of the best pastures. Now markhors are preserved only in nature reserves and hard-to-reach mountainous areas.

Predators, the hunt for which previously had an independent, predominantly sports interest, now in most Asian countries is either under protection because of their rarity, or they are mined in order to regulate the number. The wolf is an exception: its numbers are large in places, the damage done to agriculture and hunting, as well as to the health of the population, is significant, so they are being fought. In the Asian part of Russia, for example, there are at least 40 thousand wolves. In the 1979 season, 18,462 predators were destroyed, including 11,395 in Kazakhstan and 5,590 in the RSFSR.

There are many wolves in Mongolia, where 4-4.5 thousand predators are shot annually, in the northern regions of China, in the countries of Central Asia, etc.

The number of the jackal almost everywhere has thinned due to the destruction of tugai, cutting down bushes, and draining reed beds. In the USSR, the production of this predator decreased from 36.1 thousand in 1949 to 15,266 in 1979. The main populations of the jackal are in Turkmenistan, where its production exceeds 4 thousand individuals per year.

The number of brown bears in the Asian part of Russia, as we have already noted, is significant, and they are quite intensively hunted for sport, but since the hunters keep the skins for themselves, it is impossible to establish the actual volume of prey of these predators. In Japan, bears are shot throughout the year as dangerous animals for the forest. Their average annual production for 1953-1974. amounted to 19 814 heads, including 5267 brown, 14 546 black. During the hunting season, 755 predators are hunted, the rest are destroyed during extermination measures. The maximum number of bears is shot in the prefectures of Hokkaido (5267 per year), Gifu (2388), Nagano (1686), Fukui (1135). In Mongolia, 100-200 brown bears are hunted per year.

Many rare species and subspecies of Asian bears are protected: white-clawed in the Tien Shan, black in Primorye, panda in southern Asia, etc.

The situation is unfavorable with most representatives of the cat family, especially with such large and attractive predators as the lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah. They have been greatly exterminated and are almost everywhere taken under protection. For example, until relatively recently, 9 species of cats lived in Iran; To date, two of them, the largest - the Persian lion and the Turanian tiger - have disappeared, and the cheetah has been under threat of destruction for a long time. A similar picture is typical for most Asian countries.

The lion survived only in India, in the Gir forest reserve, where the introduction of these predators was carried out. Their number in the reserve increased from 177 to 200 in just three years. Two more lion reserves were created in the vicinity of Hotdarabad and not far from Bombay.

In the last decade, according to scientists, the number of tigers worldwide was 4 thousand individuals, compared to 100 thousand at the beginning of this century. The smallest subspecies of the tiger, the Balinese tiger, which inhabited the island of Bali, has been completely exterminated. Perhaps there are no more Caspian (Turanian) tigers left in nature, which once inhabited the expanses of Asia from Afghanistan to Eastern Turkey, living on the modern territory of the Central Asian republics and Kazakhstan. Several hundred heads of the Sumatran tiger have been preserved, a few of the Chinese, and about 250 individuals of the Siberian (Amur). Indonesian (2 thousand specimens) and Indian, or Bengal (about the same number) tigers are relatively numerous.

Many countries are taking measures to protect and restore the number of tigers. True, this task is very difficult, since in Lately not hunting - main enemy large predators, but the destruction of their habitats, the reduction in the number of wild ungulates, the main "food base" of predatory animals. In the Soviet Union, thanks to many years of efforts, it was possible to increase the number of Amur tigers from a few dozen to 200-250 animals.

In India, since 1973, the government, with the support of the international community, has been implementing a tiger conservation project in the country. It includes measures to create nature reserves, protect tiger habitats and increase the number of wild ungulates. As a result, over the past 5 years, tiger populations have increased, their population density has become the highest in protected areas. In 1977, there were 2278 tigers, 628 of them in the reserves. The number of wild ungulates in the main habitats of the predator also increased: sambar from 803 to 1107 heads, axis from 8477 to 14800, wild boar - from 1171 to 2703 heads.

The problem of protecting and restoring the numbers of other large predators - leopard, snow leopard, cheetah - is being solved in a similar way. Working with the first two species, and especially with the snow leopard, is complicated by the fact that in the high-mountain, hard-to-reach habitats of these predators, it is very difficult to ensure compliance with hunting bans. Moreover, the snow leopard is most often shot by shepherds whose herds it allegedly attacks (the actual damage to domestic animals from the snow leopard is insignificant); Leopards were hunted in significant quantities in China as early as 1973. Only one of the southern provinces received 3 thousand leopard skins. Hundreds of skins of this predator, exported from China, were seen in 1974 in Hong Kong. The cheetah is placed in an almost hopeless situation by the sharp reduction in the number of lowland ungulates - goitered gazelles, gazelles, since it feeds mainly by hunting them.

In the latest report “Facts about Furs” mentioned above, it is stated that in 1977-1978. 4,391,625 skins of wild fur-bearing animals were exported from Asian countries, and the species of only 390 thousand skins was indicated, the rest were described as “other”. Analyzing these data, it can be established that approximately 93 thousand wild cat skins and 75 thousand ermine skins are not included in them. According to known statistics, more than 9,120 thousand fur pelts are harvested in Asia. Of course, these are minimum figures that reflect only part of the actual volume of production of fur-bearing animals in Asia.

Conservation of snow leopard (irbis) and Altai mountain sheep (argali) populations in the Altai-Sayan ecoregion are the most important tasks for WWF. Both species are listed in the Red Book Russian Federation as endangered. The population status of these species reflects the overall “health” of the ecosystem, so they can be called indicator species.

Snow Leopard - mysterious predator Asia. Threats and solutions.

Snow leopard (irbis) - mysterious and mysterious beast- still remains one of the most poorly studied feline species in the whole world. Very little is known about the biology and ecology of this rare predator, and its number within the current range is determined very tentatively. For many Asian peoples, this animal is a symbol of strength, nobility and power; Asian folklore is full of stories and legends about this elusive predator. Few people manage to see a snow leopard in the wild; much more often you can find traces of its vital activity - scratches, predator scratches in the trees, fur, excrement, urinary tracts on stones.

The snow leopard is listed in the Red Book International Union Nature Conservation (IUCN) and has the status of a rare or endangered species in all 12 countries where it lives: Russia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bhutan.

According to WWF experts, in the Russian part of the Altai-Sayan ecoregion there are about 70-90 snow leopards, while there are no more than 4,000 individuals of the rare predator on the planet.

© Flickr.com / Linda Stanley

Camera traps in Tuva captured a charismatic predator © Alexander Kuksin

Journalists are rarely taken to these places. Even trained people find it difficult to walk on the “land of the snow leopard” © M. Paltsyn

Snow leopard track in the Argut River valley, Mountain Altai, March 2012 © Sergey Spitsyn

Festival “Land of the Snow Leopard” in Tuva © T. Ivanitskaya

What is WWF doing to save the snow leopard?

Back in 2002, WWF Russia experts prepared a document approved by the Ministry natural resources Russian Federation. The document was developed taking into account the very limited experience of studying and protecting the species in Russia. The number of snow leopards in Russia, according to the Strategy, was estimated by WWF experts at 150-200 individuals, however, as shown by further studies in snow leopard habitats in 2003-2011. , the real number of the species in Russia is at least two times lower and is unlikely to exceed 70-90 individuals. An updated version of the Strategy, taking into account work experience and new realities, was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation in 2014.

In Russia, the snow leopard lives at the northern limit of its modern range and forms only a few stable groups in optimal habitats - the mountains of the Altai-Sayan ecoregion. The number of snow leopards in Russia is only 1-2% of the world number of the species. The survival of the snow leopard in our country largely depends on the conservation of spatial and genetic links its Russian groups with the main population core of the species in Western Mongolia and, possibly, in Northwestern China.

In 2010, WWF moved to a new level of work and, in collaboration with numerous partners, began monitoring snow leopard populations using modern methods research: photo and video traps. This method made it possible to clarify the boundaries of the habitat of the groups and the abundance of the species. Disappointing conclusions were obtained from a study of the snow leopard group in the Argut River valley in the Altai Republic, previously considered the largest in Russia. Camera traps recorded only lynx, despite the fact that the conditions for the existence of snow leopards on Argut are ideal: high mountains, rocky gorges, the presence of the largest group of Siberian mountain goats in Russia, 3200-3500 individuals - the main food of the snow leopard in the Altai-Sayans. Polls local residents revealed the fact of the almost complete destruction of the snow leopard group on Argut in the 70-90s of the twentieth century, when the snow leopard fishery flourished in the mountains. WWF's task was to preserve the surviving remnants of the group and gradually restore its numbers.

One of WWF's priorities is supporting anti-poaching activities. In the same year, on the initiative of WWF, a German shepherd search dog, Eric, was trained to work in the Altai mountains in order to search and identify traces of snow leopard activity, becoming an assistant to specialists in the field.

In 2012, employees of the Altai biosphere reserve and WWF managed to obtain the first photographic evidence of the snow leopard’s habitat: cameras recorded a female and a male, named Vita and Kryuk. In addition to photomonitoring to record and study the elusive predator, in collaboration with scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. A. N. Severtsov RAS (IPEE RAS), scientists use the method of DNA analysis of collected traces of snow leopard activity (excrement, fur, etc.), SLIMS and other modern techniques...

In 2011, in Altai, in order to distract the local population from poaching, illegal collection of wild plants or logging in the region, the WWF and Citi Foundation Program was launched to improve the quality of life of local residents and create a sustainable income from types of business that are sustainable for nature. With the help of training seminars, exchange of experience and provision of microgrants and microloans for the local population, WWF and Citi set goals for the development of legal small businesses in the field of rural tourism and ecotourism in the habitats of the Altai mountain sheep and snow leopard, the production of souvenirs and felt products, and improving performance quality of livestock, etc.

In 2015, with the support of the Pernod Ricard Rouss company, WWF specialists first tested a method of involving former hunters in environmental projects. Having undergone special training and received cameras for snow leopard monitoring, residents receive a reward for the fact that the snow leopard continues to be recorded by camera traps and remains alive and well. Already six people, including hunters from families of hereditary “leopard hunters”, have been trained in working with cameras and are participating in WWF raids, helping inspectors with information, forces and participating in expeditions.

The snow leopard is a predator that does not respect state borders. The well-being of this species directly depends on the connection between Russian groups and snow leopard groups in neighboring Mongolia and China. Therefore, the development of transboundary environmental cooperation is a priority task for WWF in the region. Joint research, exchange of experience, scientific, environmental and educational activities with WWF Mongolia and colleagues from other environmental structures in Mongolia are carried out annually and quite effectively. Joint projects with colleagues from Kazakhstan include the creation of protected natural areas and support for joint environmental activities.

Camera trap in the Chibit tract

© Alexander Kuksin

© Sergey Istomov

Sergei Istomov records snow leopard tracks

Snow leopard on Tsagaan-Shibetu, Tuva © A. Kuksin

© Mikhail Paltsyn

© Alexander Kuksin

What remains of the owner of the mountains

What to do next

Today, the main threat to snow leopards in the region remains illegal fishing using wire snares. An inconspicuous noose is installed by a poacher on an animal path along which animals move, and, tightening as the animal moves, it becomes a death trap. Cheap snares are often abandoned by poachers, and they remain wary long years threatening the death of animals. According to WWF experts, there are only a few cases of targeted hunting of snow leopards in the region. More often, loops are installed on other species of animals, in particular, on musk deer, whose musk gland is an excellent and expensive trophy that is valued in the eastern market for medicines and potions. Poaching of musk deer is a big threat to the snow leopard.

In conditions of insufficiently effective equipment and a small number of employees of government agencies for the protection of wildlife, WWF provides logistical support for operational activities in the habitats of rare and endangered species. Particular attention is paid to the fight against snare fishing.

Work in the Republic of Tyva has its own characteristics. In the region with the highest livestock population in Siberian federal district shepherds live in the highlands almost side by side with the snow leopard. The decline in the number of wild ungulates, climate change are the reasons forcing the snow leopard to attack livestock, which is a source of life for pastoralists. Shooting or trapping of snow leopards by local residents in retaliation for attacks on livestock is a major threat to the predator in Tuva. To reduce conflict situations, WWF is taking various steps. Thus, a scheme for paying compensation to shepherds for livestock lost as a result of a snow leopard attack was tested, and measures are being taken to instill a special attitude towards the rare predator among local residents. In 2010, a simple but effective measure to reinforce ventilation holes in covered cattle pens with chain-link mesh prevented snow leopard attacks on livestock and saved the lives of many predators.

Today, about 19% of key snow leopard habitats and 31% of argali habitats in Russia have the status of protected natural areas. WWF plans to expand the network of protected areas or improve the status, as well as the quality of protection, management and existing protected areas. The number of the group in the Argut River valley is growing - photos and video traps record the presence of females with kittens here, a new habitat of the snow leopard has been found on the Chikhachev Ridge. In 2015, for the first time, an online information system was developed for snow leopard specialists, which will collect all available information on every snow leopard encountered in Russia and Mongolia - from footage from automatic cameras to meeting places and the characteristics of each snow leopard.

International cooperation between Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan should develop, ensuring the conservation of animals that do not respect state borders.

WWF will continue to use A complex approach and work in partnership with multiple partners. This will optimize resources and ensure the long-term conservation of these species in the Altai and Sayan Mountains.