Conservation organisation NABU has been working to protect the snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan since 1999 – with in situ support from Zoo and Tierpark Berlin. Alongside an established anti-poaching unit in the north of the country, a second anti-poaching unit has now been set up in the south. These “Gruppa Bars” patrol the mountains protecting the leopards and liaise closely with local communities.
The destruction of their natural habitat in Central Asia, a decline in prey numbers, and the threat of poachers are gradually pushing the snow leopard to the brink of extinction.
Photos on site: © NABU / Xenia Nossowa
