CONSERVATION PROBLEM

The landscapes of the Almaty mountains are home to the rare and endangered snow leopard. However, the city’s constantly growing population and infrastructure developement are forcing this cat to use hard-to-reach and unsuitable habitats. The snow leopard practically lives within the city's borders, and its further survival largely depends on the citizens themselves. 

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

The activities will flow in three directions: 

• Scientific support to the preservation of the snow leopard's ecosystems that will look for possible ways of sustainable coexistence with the species under the pressures of increased urbanization; 
• Social approach that will launch a campaign promoting the public support of Almaty’s snow leopards (public events, publications, online campaign, participatory meetings, etc.);
• Institutional approach that will include development of proposals for snow leopard conservation near Almaty. 

PROJECT RESULTS

This project will contribute to the creation of a positive-minded society, supportive of an ecosystem-based approach to solving problems of biodiversity preservation, where the inevitable process of urbanization takes into account the needs of the endangered species and the ecosystem. Overall, the project will give impetus to new research on the snow leopard’s lifestyle in the context of urbanization.