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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/afghanistan/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
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	<title>Afghanistan environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/afghanistan/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Financing conservation of Central Asia&#8217;s endangered mammals on World Wildlife Day and every day (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/financing-conservation-of-central-asias-endangered-mammals-on-world-wildlife-day-and-every-day-commentarycommentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/financing-conservation-of-central-asias-endangered-mammals-on-world-wildlife-day-and-every-day-commentarycommentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Mar 2025 12:03:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anne NeumannChristiane RöttgerJohannes Stahl]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/08/16183224/Saiga_antelope_at_the_Stepnoi_Sanctuary-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=295225</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Carbon Market, climate finance, Conservation, Conservation Finance, Ecotourism, Finance, Payments For Ecosystem Services, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Central Asia hosts some of the world’s largest and still relatively interconnected yet fragile grassland and mountain ecosystems. These landscapes provide essential habitats for migratory and threatened species, including the snow leopard, saiga antelope, argali sheep, Mongolian gazelle and wild ass. While these species are essential for maintaining ecological balance, they face growing threats from [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Central Asia hosts some of the world’s largest and still relatively interconnected yet fragile grassland and mountain ecosystems. These landscapes provide essential habitats for migratory and threatened species, including the snow leopard, saiga antelope, argali sheep, Mongolian gazelle and wild ass. While these species are essential for maintaining ecological balance, they face growing threats from habitat fragmentation, climate change, and poaching. Despite their ecological significance, conservation efforts in the region remain severely underfunded, hindered by high financial risks and a lack of investment-ready opportunities. The 2025 edition of U.N. World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2025, themed Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and the Planet) rings the alarm bell: financial solutions to support conservation efforts in regions like Central Asia are urgently needed. As part of these efforts, the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI), under the Convention on Migratory Species, provides a strategic framework to safeguard migratory wildlife across the region’s arid steppes and mountains. However, without effective financing mechanisms and stronger international collaboration, conservation efforts will struggle to keep pace with mounting threats. New financing solutions needed Conservation finance in Central Asia faces inadequate funding levels, high perceived risks, and limited data on biodiversity projects. The complexity of conservation initiatives, coupled with the long-term nature of economic returns, often deters potential investors. While new financing mechanisms have succeeded elsewhere in the world, their potential in Central Asia remains largely untapped. Adapting and implementing these approaches could unlock sustaining investment flows, providing the necessary resources to protect these ecosystems. Saiga&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/financing-conservation-of-central-asias-endangered-mammals-on-world-wildlife-day-and-every-day-commentarycommentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/financing-conservation-of-central-asias-endangered-mammals-on-world-wildlife-day-and-every-day-commentarycommentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-295225</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Protect Persian leopards, and their defenders, for World Environment Day (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jun 2022 01:20:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hedieyeh TehranyJane Goodall]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/06/02140504/persian-leopard-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=256735</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, and Iran]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Cats, Charismatic Animals, Commentary, Conservation, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Human-wildlife Conflict, Leopards, Poaching, Social Justice, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At times of anguish and confusion we turn to nature to quiet the mind and find healing. We hold on to the miraculous survival of wildlife and ecosystems, to persist in the face of struggles we have no control over, leaving us often drained and hopeless. For us, one of those miracles is a beautiful [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At times of anguish and confusion we turn to nature to quiet the mind and find healing. We hold on to the miraculous survival of wildlife and ecosystems, to persist in the face of struggles we have no control over, leaving us often drained and hopeless. For us, one of those miracles is a beautiful feline, the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), roaming mountains and cold winter deserts of Central Asia and the Middle East. Persian leopard range spans across 11 countries: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were part of the range but they are now considered extinct there. Almost 80% of these leopards are found in Iran, followed by Turkmenistan. In the Caucasus, long-term conservation efforts have led to the unique recovery of a small population in the Zangezur region, including the south of Armenia and southeast of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchevan Autonomous Republic (Persian Leopard Working Group (2022) Range-Wide Strategy for the Conservation of the Persian Leopard Panthera pardus tulliana, draft). During the summer of 2021, a Persian leopard was camera trapped in Tusheti Protected Areas in Georgia after a 12 year-long absence. Shortly after, Persian leopards (not related to the reintroduction program in the Russian Caucasus) were spotted in Russian Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya and Dagestan. In Kazakhstan, Persian leopards were re-discovered in 2018, though unfortunately the only animal known there died in 2021. Recently in Turkey, leopards were recorded at four different locations, some of which are dispersing male individuals&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-256735</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>In Afghanistan, a new national park carries hopes for conservation and peace</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/in-afghanistan-a-new-national-park-carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/in-afghanistan-a-new-national-park-carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Mar 2020 07:52:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Erich Orion]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Maria Angeles Salazar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/03/11074223/featured-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=227787</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, National Parks, Protected Areas, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Ibrahim Abrar’s first visit to Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, where he encountered the Dar-e-Bozurk, or Grand Canyon, is an experience he says he’ll never forget. He describes it as “a vast emptiness of gigantic and deep canyons, pristine rangeland, and rather intimidating dignified, old juniper trees.” In November 2019, more than a decade after that first [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Ibrahim Abrar’s first visit to Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, where he encountered the Dar-e-Bozurk, or Grand Canyon, is an experience he says he’ll never forget. He describes it as “a vast emptiness of gigantic and deep canyons, pristine rangeland, and rather intimidating dignified, old juniper trees.” In November 2019, more than a decade after that first encounter, Abrar, now a project manager with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Afghanistan program, returned with government officials to announce the establishment of the Bamyan Plateau Protected Area. Only the fifth protected area in Afghanistan, and the second-biggest at 4,200 square kilometers (1,600 square miles), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, it’s a landscape rich with ecological, social and cultural significance. Work on the Bamyan protected area began in 2006 after biological surveys revealed an abundance of rare wildlife and undisturbed habitat. Over the following decade, WCS Afghanistan worked closely with local officials, scientists and communities to coordinate funding and ecological monitoring. Officials reveal the stone signage dedicating Bamyan Plateau Protected Area during an on-site ceremony. Image courtesy of WCS Afghanistan. A ribbon-cutting ceremony by WCS Afghanistan operations director Qais Sahar and Afghan officials marked the opening of the protected area. Image courtesy of WCS Afghanistan. “In this area, the long and intertwined histories of wildlife and human inhabitants have preserved a rich and spectacular biological and cultural landscape,” says John Robinson, the WCS chief conservation officer and executive vice president of conservation and science. The wildlife found in Bamyan include&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/in-afghanistan-a-new-national-park-carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/in-afghanistan-a-new-national-park-carries-hopes-for-conservation-and-peace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-227787</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Conservation may offer common ground in Afghan conflict</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/conservation-may-offer-common-ground-for-combatants-in-afghan-conflict/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/conservation-may-offer-common-ground-for-combatants-in-afghan-conflict/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Apr 2019 19:50:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/04/10183734/ManwithLeopard_Credit_WCS_LisaYook-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=217363</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, and Central Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Interviews, Mammals, Protected Areas, Snow Leopards, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[War, drugs, corruption, and terrorism are terms Westerners are more likely to associate with Afghanistan than biodiversity conservation. But Alex Dehgan, a conservation technologist who runs the Washington D.C.-based Conservation X Labs and formerly served as the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), says conservation has the potential to offer a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[War, drugs, corruption, and terrorism are terms Westerners are more likely to associate with Afghanistan than biodiversity conservation. But Alex Dehgan, a conservation technologist who runs the Washington D.C.-based Conservation X Labs and formerly served as the Chief Scientist at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), says conservation has the potential to offer a bridge toward a more peaceful Afghanistan. Camera trap picture of a snow leopard in Lower Wakhan-Badakhshan. Photo credit WCS Dehgan lays out his case in The Snow Leopard Project And Other Adventures In Warzone Conservation, a book published this past January. The book, which traces Dehgan&#8217;s unorthodox career from a biologist and legal expert who helped craft environmental laws in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union to his work with lemurs in Madagascar to his time with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) setting up Afghanistan&#8217;s first national park, argues that there is &#8220;an implicit understanding&#8221; among Afghans &#8220;of the links between conservation of the natural environment and their survival&#8221;. &#8220;Most people don’t realize that Afghanistan contains the western end of the Himalayan range, verdant coniferous and deciduous oak and cedar forests on steep hillsides, blistering red sandy deserts, Utah-like canyons and mesas, nor are they aware of its rich species diversity. Afghanistan is a country of brown bears, wolves, and caracals, hyenas, jackals and cheetahs, and elusive snow leopards, and at one point, tigers, and Asiatic cheetahs,&#8221; said Dehgan. &#8220;Eighty percent of the country is dependent on natural resources, and the fate of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/conservation-may-offer-common-ground-for-combatants-in-afghan-conflict/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/04/conservation-may-offer-common-ground-for-combatants-in-afghan-conflict/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-217363</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Range countries to lead new estimate of global snow leopard population as downgraded threat status remains controversial</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/range-countries-to-lead-new-estimate-of-global-snow-leopard-population-as-downgraded-threat-status-remains-controversial/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/range-countries-to-lead-new-estimate-of-global-snow-leopard-population-as-downgraded-threat-status-remains-controversial/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Mar 2018 17:20:20 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/03/26163259/Snow_leopard_-_Uncia_uncia-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=205218</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, South Asia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, Mammals, Poaching, Population, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[No one really knows for sure how many snow leopards there are left in the world, but an initiative spearheaded by snow leopard range countries and scientists announced last week aims to change that. The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is found in 12 countries in Central and South Asia. Its elusive nature and inaccessible, mountainous [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[No one really knows for sure how many snow leopards there are left in the world, but an initiative spearheaded by snow leopard range countries and scientists announced last week aims to change that. The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is found in 12 countries in Central and South Asia. Its elusive nature and inaccessible, mountainous habitat were once believed to be keeping the snow leopard population relatively stable, but in recent years habitat loss and degradation, declining prey due to illegal hunting, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade have all taken their toll, and the species is widely believed to be in decline. The species had been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986 until late last year, when its threat status was downgraded to Vulnerable — ostensibly welcome news that ultimately proved quite controversial. The IUCN reported that &#8220;new available data&#8221; had led to the threat status downgrade. But even the IUCN notes in its assessment of the snow leopard population that “There are no robust estimates of Snow Leopard global population size and the various figures available are best regarded as guesses.&#8221; Those best guesses place the global snow leopard population anywhere between about 4,000 to 7,500 individuals, according to the IUCN Red List. The newly announced Population Assessment of the World’s Snow Leopards initiative, called PAWS for short, will be overseen by the Steering Committee of the Global Snow Leopard &amp; Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), which is comprised of the Environment&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/range-countries-to-lead-new-estimate-of-global-snow-leopard-population-as-downgraded-threat-status-remains-controversial/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/03/range-countries-to-lead-new-estimate-of-global-snow-leopard-population-as-downgraded-threat-status-remains-controversial/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-205218</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Snow leopards no longer ‘endangered,’ but still in decline and in need of urgent conservation measures</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/snow-leopards-no-longer-endangered-but-still-in-decline-and-in-need-of-urgent-conservation-measures/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/snow-leopards-no-longer-endangered-but-still-in-decline-and-in-need-of-urgent-conservation-measures/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Sep 2017 20:05:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2017/09/26194528/Panthera_uncia_Shynghyz_Tama_Zoo_2015-09-20-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=199460</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, South Asia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Global Environmental Crisis, Mammals, Research, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species had bad news about the conservation status of many species, including some that were previously so abundant that their entry onto the list as endangered or even critically endangered came as something of a surprise. There was at least one species for whom the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The latest update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species had bad news about the conservation status of many species, including some that were previously so abundant that their entry onto the list as endangered or even critically endangered came as something of a surprise. There was at least one species for whom the update bore welcome news, however: the snow leopard, which has been listed as Endangered since 1986 but has now had its threat status downgraded to Vulnerable. “Thanks to new available data, the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) has moved from the Endangered to Vulnerable category,” the IUCN reported before warning that &#8220;its population continues to decline and it still faces a high risk of extinction through habitat loss and degradation, declines in prey, competition with livestock, persecution, and poaching for illegal wildlife trade.” Many scientists and conservationists were quick to underscore the point made by the IUCN about the need for continued conservation efforts to reverse the snow leopards’ ongoing decline and ensure the survival of the species, regardless of its status on the Red List. Indeed, some experts argue that moving the species from Endangered to Vulnerable might not have been warranted at all. The IUCN itself noted that there have been a number of successes in the fight to save snow leopards, while acknowledging that there is a lot of work left to be done: “Thanks to significant investments in conservation for this species, including anti-poaching efforts, initiatives to reduce conflict with livestock, and awareness-raising&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/snow-leopards-no-longer-endangered-but-still-in-decline-and-in-need-of-urgent-conservation-measures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2017/09/snow-leopards-no-longer-endangered-but-still-in-decline-and-in-need-of-urgent-conservation-measures/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-199460</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Is the snow leopard actually 3 distinct subspecies?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/new-research-suggests-there-are-three-distinct-subspecies-of-snow-leopard/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/new-research-suggests-there-are-three-distinct-subspecies-of-snow-leopard/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 May 2017 11:33:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2017/05/26154216/Snow_leopard_portrait-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=196165</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Conservation, Environment, Mammals, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[New research published in the Journal of Heredity suggests that there are three subspecies of snow leopard, which researchers say could create new conservation opportunities for the elusive species that inhabits remote, high-altitude habitat across Central and South Asia. All snow leopards were believed to belong to one monotypic species, Panthera uncia, prior to the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[New research published in the Journal of Heredity suggests that there are three subspecies of snow leopard, which researchers say could create new conservation opportunities for the elusive species that inhabits remote, high-altitude habitat across Central and South Asia. All snow leopards were believed to belong to one monotypic species, Panthera uncia, prior to the present study. Though the cats’ range is immense, extending across 1.6 million square kilometers (more than 600,000 square miles) and 12 Asian countries, while also being largely inaccessible to humans, as it includes some of the highest and coldest mountain ranges in the world, hunting and poaching still pose such a serious threat to snow leopards that an estimated population of just 3,500 to 7,000 individuals remains in the wild today. Because of the forbidding terrain they call home, snow leopards are the last of the big cat species — which also includes jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers — to have been subjected to a subspecies assessment. A research team led by Dr. Jan E. Janecka, a professor of biological science at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, conducted the first range-wide genetic assessment of snow leopards by analyzing the DNA in scat samples collected on wildlife trails and other areas frequented by the cats. Janecka and team determined that there are three primary “genetic clusters” of snow leopards, each of which qualifies as its own subspecies: a Northern subspecies in the Altai region, a Central subspecies in the core Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau regions, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/new-research-suggests-there-are-three-distinct-subspecies-of-snow-leopard/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-196165</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Over 200 snow leopards killed every year: new report</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/over-200-snow-leopards-killed-every-year-new-report/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/over-200-snow-leopards-killed-every-year-new-report/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Oct 2016 11:07:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shreya Dasgupta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shreya Dasgupta]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/04/01214511/JHance_BigConservation_SnowLeopard_animals_154242-495x330.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=190409</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, China, India, and Mongolia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Illegal Trade, Leopards, Mammals, Poaching, Snow Leopards, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopards may be hard to spot in the wild, but they make easy targets for poachers, according to a new report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. Between 220 to 450 snow leopards have been killed illegally every year since 2008, the report found, mostly in retaliation for livestock depredation or for illegal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopards may be hard to spot in the wild, but they make easy targets for poachers, according to a new report by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. Between 220 to 450 snow leopards have been killed illegally every year since 2008, the report found, mostly in retaliation for livestock depredation or for illegal trade. But these numbers could be considerably higher since many illegal killings in remote mountain areas go undetected, researchers say. With fewer than 4,000 snow leopards estimated to remain in the wild, high levels of poaching could spell trouble for the already dwindling populations of these secretive cats. “TRAFFIC’s analysis confirms the worrying scale of illegal killing of snow leopards,” said James Compton, Senior Program Director with TRAFFIC, in a statement. Snow Leopard, Tiger &amp; Leopard skins for sale in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2011. Photo by D Lawson / WCS. Snow leopards are found in the remote mountains of 12 Asian countries. But five countries — China, India, Mongolia, Pakistan and Tajikistan — account for more than 90 percent of the estimated snow leopard poaching. Nepal, with its small population of snow leopards, also has relatively high poaching levels, the researchers found. Most of the smuggled snow leopard products end up in China, Russia and Afghanistan. Skins, usually used as wall displays in homes and restaurants, are the most commonly seized snow leopard products, the report found. In 2004 for example, 17 snow leopard skins originating in Mongolia were confiscated on the Russian border, while 27 skins were seized from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/over-200-snow-leopards-killed-every-year-new-report/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-190409</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Understanding the ghost of the mountain</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/understanding-ghost-mountain/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/understanding-ghost-mountain/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Aug 2016 20:13:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Julia John]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sue Palminteri]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/08/01193349/feature-crop-wt-520x281.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://wildtech-mongabay-com.mongabay.com/?p=185481</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Camera Trapping, cameras, data, GPS, Mapping, Monitoring, Population, Remote Sensing, Research, Snow Leopards, Surveying, Technology, Tracking, Wildlife, and Wildtech]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The grayish-white form of the ghost of the mountain slinks through the snowcapped slopes of Central Asia. Its remote, harsh habitat, cryptic coat and elusive nature have impeded investigation and made monitoring the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) arduous, if not impossible. Technological advances, however, are changing that. New population estimates for the big cat, based [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The grayish-white form of the ghost of the mountain slinks through the snowcapped slopes of Central Asia. Its remote, harsh habitat, cryptic coat and elusive nature have impeded investigation and made monitoring the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) arduous, if not impossible. Technological advances, however, are changing that. New population estimates for the big cat, based on a knowledge review process begun in 2008 incorporating increasingly sophisticated technology, are higher than prior ones. A study of Snow Leopard Conservation Units comprising 44 percent of the species’ three million-square-kilometer range suggests there could be 4,678 to 8,745 individuals just within surveyed areas. Till now, scientists believed the global snow leopard population numbered between 3,920 and 7,500.  They stress that they can’t say the population has increased but their ability to estimate it has improved. “New technologies in the hands of respected experts across snow leopard range, yielded, for the most part, the raw data for a more robust population estimate,” said Tom McCarthy, Director of Panthera’s Snow Leopard Program. Snow leopard approaches camera trap, Kyrgyzstan. Photo credit: Panthera-SAEF-NAS-UW. Collars, Cameras, Poop and GIS McCarthy has used telemetry and camera traps, two such technologies, for decades. In the early 1990s, he conducted a large study in Mongolia using standard VHF tags attached to collars. Following the signals of these tags was difficult, requiring researchers to hike on the ground with handheld antennas—a time-consuming and frustrating process—or track from a small aircraft—a costly and risky option. But now GPS satellite tags track the cats as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/understanding-ghost-mountain/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-188511</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>2015 Equator Prize winners span 19 countries</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2015 23:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2015/09/03162548/sabah_3516-495x330.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Ethiopia, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Uganda]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community-based Conservation, Environment, Environmental Heroes, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Indigenous Peoples]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The United Nations today announced 21 winners of the 2015 Equator Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes community-led environmental initiatives. The winners, selected from a pool of 1,461 nominations across 126 countries, include groups from 19 countries, spanning community land rights organizations to environmental activists. &#8220;These winners show what is possible when indigenous peoples and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The United Nations today announced 21 winners of the 2015 Equator Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes community-led environmental initiatives. The winners, selected from a pool of 1,461 nominations across 126 countries, include groups from 19 countries, spanning community land rights organizations to environmental activists. &#8220;These winners show what is possible when indigenous peoples and local communities are backed by rights to manage their lands, territories and natural resources,&#8221; said Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in a statement. &#8220;Forests and wildlife are protected, landscapes are managed to provide for food and water security, jobs are created and local people are empowered. The bottom line is that land rights for indigenous people are good for the climate, good for sustainable development.&#8221; The winners were announced during an event hosted by actor Alec Baldwin. Each winner receives $10,000 and a trip to a community summit that parallels COP21 in Paris. The U.N. released a full list of the winners, which is reproduced below. Additional details are available on the Equator Initiative web site. A 2011 rally in Phnom Penh by the Prey Lang Network. Photo courtesy of Prey Lang Network. EQUATOR PRIZE 2015 WINNERS Rural Green Environment Organization, Afghanistan – The organization works in one of Afghanistan’s poorest provinces and has banned illegal fishing and hunting, improved food security and restored degraded lands through food for work projects (6,150 jobs created), tree nurseries, forest guard patrols, terracing and the planting of fruit and nut trees (200,000 trees planted).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-139618</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>An avalanche of decline: snow leopard populations are plummeting</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/01/an-avalanche-of-decline-snow-leopard-populations-are-plummeting/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/01/an-avalanche-of-decline-snow-leopard-populations-are-plummeting/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2013 18:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Erica Santana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2013/01/an-avalanche-of-decline-snow-leopard-populations-are-plummeting/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, China, India, Mongolia, Nepal, and Pakistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Human-wildlife Conflict, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Poaching, Predators, Snow Leopards, Top Predators, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Toronto Zoo. Photo by: John Vetterli. The trading of big cat pelts is nothing new, but recent demand for snow leopard pelts and taxidermy mounts has added a new commodity to the illegal trade in wildlife products, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Traditionally, the market for large cat products [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Toronto Zoo. Photo by: John Vetterli. The trading of big cat pelts is nothing new, but recent demand for snow leopard pelts and taxidermy mounts has added a new commodity to the illegal trade in wildlife products, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Traditionally, the market for large cat products has centered around tiger bones and parts for traditional Chinese medicine. Snow leopards (Uncia uncia), however, are a novel trend in the illegal wildlife trade arena and skins and taxidermy mounts are the most recent fad in luxury home décor. The EIA, a UK-based non-profit organization whose mission is to investigate crimes to the environment, are concerned that attention to the plight of snow leopards is compromised because of the global conservation focus on tigers. While tiger poaching is a rampant threat, the EIA estimates that for every tiger poached, approximately six leopards are taken, including snow leopards. Experts have estimated that there are between 4,000 and 6,000 snow leopards left in the wild, making them one of Asia’s most endangered mammals. This estimate was calculated several years ago, however, and it is believed that the number today is significantly lower. Results of EIA investigations reveal that the majority of snow leopard pelts are being harvested in China, Mongolia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Beginning in 2005, open trade in large cat products has declined and most of the illegal transactions in large cat trading is done in secret, making it difficult to monitor. Investigators from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2013/01/an-avalanche-of-decline-snow-leopard-populations-are-plummeting/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-29808</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>First snow leopards collared in Afghanistan as species faces rising threat from climate change</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/first-snow-leopards-collared-in-afghanistan-as-species-faces-rising-threat-from-climate-change/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/first-snow-leopards-collared-in-afghanistan-as-species-faces-rising-threat-from-climate-change/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Jul 2012 14:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2012/07/first-snow-leopards-collared-in-afghanistan-as-species-faces-rising-threat-from-climate-change/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, and Central Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Climate Change, Conservation, Environment, Extinction, Forests, Green, Mammals, Mountains, Predators, Snow Leopards, Top Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The research team conducts a dental exam of a snow leopard prior to its release. Photo by: Anthony Simms/WCS. Scientists have captured and collared two snow leopards (Panthera uncia), arguably one of the world&#8217;s most elusive predators, in Afghanistan for the first time. Undertaken by researchers with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Afghani vets, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The research team conducts a dental exam of a snow leopard prior to its release. Photo by: Anthony Simms/WCS. Scientists have captured and collared two snow leopards (Panthera uncia), arguably one of the world&#8217;s most elusive predators, in Afghanistan for the first time. Undertaken by researchers with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Afghani vets, the successful operation was conducted as a new study finds that snow leopard habitat could shrink by nearly one-third due to anthropogenic climate change in the Himalayas. &#8220;The information garnered from the tagging will assist researchers as they learn more about the range, behavior, movements, and habitat used by snow leopards,&#8221; Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director of Asia Programs, said in a press release. &#8220;This information in turn will help us in our partnership with the Afghan Government and local communities to design protected areas and management strategies to optimize the conservation of this big cat.&#8221; Listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, snow leopards face a barrage of threats including poaching, loss of prey, and human encroachment on traditional snow leopard territory. As top predators, snow leopards are also sometimes killed in retaliation for livestock hunting when their natural prey runs short. Now, however, a new study in Biological Conservation adds a rising threat to snow leopard survival: climate change. The study found that snow leopards, at least those in Himalayas, could lose around 30 percent of their habitat as treelines move higher due to climate change. Snow leopards generally thrive above the treeline,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/first-snow-leopards-collared-in-afghanistan-as-species-faces-rising-threat-from-climate-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-30581</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Animal picture of the day: rare image of Asiatic cheetah and cubs</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2012 16:07:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, India, Iran, Middle East, and Pakistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Cheetahs, Environment, Green, Mammals, Photos, Picture Of The Day, Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A rare image of a mother Iranian cheetah and its three cubs. Photo by: Javad Shokouhi/Yazd DOE-CACP. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as the Iranian cheetah, is one the world&#8217;s rarest cat subspecies with somewhere between 70-110 individuals left. No surprisingly it is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. &#8220;This [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A rare image of a mother Iranian cheetah and its three cubs. Photo by: Javad Shokouhi/Yazd DOE-CACP. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as the Iranian cheetah, is one the world&#8217;s rarest cat subspecies with somewhere between 70-110 individuals left. No surprisingly it is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. &#8220;This is a special snapshot of an Asiatic cheetah mother flanked by three cubs in a cave sheltered from the intense Iranian desert sun. This same cheetah mother was featured in a recent Wildlife Extra article that reported on camera trap images showing her migrating between two reserves 130 kilometers or 80 miles apart!&#8221; Panthera told mongabay.com of the above image. Panthera, which is devoted to cat conservation, has a program specifically devoted to this subspecies. Once found across the Middle East and Central Asia the subspecies is now restricted almost entirely to Iran; abundant populations that survived alongside tigers and elephants in India have vanished, and are likely gone from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well. The world&#8217;s last population of Asiatic cheetahs remains hugely imperiled by prey decline due to decades of overhunting and ongoing poaching; habitat degradation due to overgrazing and drought; human-wildlife conflict with herders and livestock; and even cubs captured for the illegal pet trade.This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-30670</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Pictures of the day: activists highlight personal impacts of climate change worldwide</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/05/pictures-of-the-day-activists-highlight-personal-impacts-of-climate-change-worldwide/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/05/pictures-of-the-day-activists-highlight-personal-impacts-of-climate-change-worldwide/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 May 2012 13:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2012/05/pictures-of-the-day-activists-highlight-personal-impacts-of-climate-change-worldwide/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Pakistan, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Climate Change, Environment, Extreme Weather, Green, Impact Of Climate Change, Photos, Picture Of The Day, Politics, Protests, and Weather]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Activists hold a banner in front of a damaged coral reef in the vulnerable Marshall islands. Rising temperatures and increased CO2 uptake are raising the acidity of the ocean, which bleaches and ultimately may kill fragile coral reefs. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. On Saturday, people around the world gathered to highlight the varied impacts of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Activists hold a banner in front of a damaged coral reef in the vulnerable Marshall islands. Rising temperatures and increased CO2 uptake are raising the acidity of the ocean, which bleaches and ultimately may kill fragile coral reefs. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. On Saturday, people around the world gathered to highlight the varied impacts of climate change on their lives. Organized by 350.org, the global day of action was a call to &#8220;connect the dots&#8221; between a warming Earth and extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, and fires among other impacts. Nearly 1,000 events were held worldwide. Paghman Valley, Afghanistan. A group of young people gathered where the Kabul river flows down from the Paghman Valley in an effort to show the how low the water table is. Afghanistan faces considerable drought and water shortage as a result of climate change. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. The largest wildfire in New Mexico state history is connected to climate change. That’s the message from a group of firefighters who gathered in the still charred Santa Fe Forest. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. Women hold a dot outside of the temporary structure that they have been living in since the devastating 2010 floods destroyed their home. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. Activists in Western Australia connect the dots between extreme weather and climate change&#8217;s root cause: the burning of fossil fuels. Unconventional gas fracking is commencing in their region and putting scarce groundwater resources under immense strain. Photo courtesy of: 350.org. In British Colombia&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2012/05/pictures-of-the-day-activists-highlight-personal-impacts-of-climate-change-worldwide/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-30955</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photos: biologists surprised by world&#8217;s biggest leopard in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/12/photos-biologists-surprised-by-worlds-biggest-leopard-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/12/photos-biologists-surprised-by-worlds-biggest-leopard-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Dec 2011 22:51:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/12/photos-biologists-surprised-by-worlds-biggest-leopard-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Camera Trapping, Cats, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hunting, Mammals, Photos, Poaching, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Persian leopard captured on camera trap in Afghanistan. Photo by: WCS Afghanistan Program. When biologists with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reviewed recent photos from camera traps in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan they were shocked to find a snarling image of the world&#8217;s largest leopard: the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor). Listed as [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Persian leopard captured on camera trap in Afghanistan. Photo by: WCS Afghanistan Program. When biologists with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reviewed recent photos from camera traps in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan they were shocked to find a snarling image of the world&#8217;s largest leopard: the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor). Listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, the subspecies was thought long-vanished from the Hindu Kush. Photos from the camera traps&#8212;automated cameras that use an infrared trigger to catch wildlife&#8212;also showed lynx (Lynx lynx), wild cat (Felis silvestris), Eurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and stone marten (Martes foina). &#8220;The presence of leopards and lynxes in Afghanistan tells us that these big cats are finding enough prey to survive,&#8221; said Ghani Ghuriani, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. &#8220;This means that the rangelands can still support ibex, urial, and other species, which is a good sign for both wildlife and the people of this region who also depend on these grasslands for grazing.&#8221; Though WCS says it is thrilled with the discovery it also notes that the photos show one of the primary threats to Persian leopards, also known as Caucasian leopards. &#8220;We were sobered by the fact that the cameras also took photographs of local people walking past with guns. Poaching is still a very real threat, and WCS is committed to helping the Afghan government and local communities protect these rare and beautiful animals,&#8221; Peter Zahler, deputy director of WCS&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/12/photos-biologists-surprised-by-worlds-biggest-leopard-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-31624</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Chemotherapy tree facing extinction</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/11/chemotherapy-tree-facing-extinction/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/11/chemotherapy-tree-facing-extinction/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Nov 2011 18:08:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/11/chemotherapy-tree-facing-extinction/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Diseases, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Health, Medicinal Plants, Medicine, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A yew tree in the Himalayas that produces the chemotherapy drug, Taxol, is in danger of extinction. An update to the IUCN Red List, has moved the tree, named Taxus contorta, from Vulnerable to Endangered. Overharvesting for medicine and fuelwood have placed the species in serious danger. Craig Hilton-Taylor with the Red List told the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[A yew tree in the Himalayas that produces the chemotherapy drug, Taxol, is in danger of extinction. An update to the IUCN Red List, has moved the tree, named Taxus contorta, from Vulnerable to Endangered. Overharvesting for medicine and fuelwood have placed the species in serious danger. Craig Hilton-Taylor with the Red List told the Guardian that it doesn&#8217;t have to be this way: &#8220;The harvesting of the bark kills the trees, but it is possible to extract Taxol from clippings, so harvesting, if properly controlled, can be less detrimental to the plants. Harvest and trade should be carefully controlled to ensure it is sustainable, but plants should also be grown in cultivation to reduce the impact of harvesting.&#8221; Taxus contorta has lost at least half of its range in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, and Afghanistan, and is believed to still be in decline. Taxol is used to treat several kinds of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and lung cancer. It has also been used to fight AIDS-related Kaposi&#8217;s sarcoma. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that the Earth is facing a serious loss in biodiversity and perhaps an outright mass extinction, if threats to the world&#8217;s species are not quickly addressed. CITATION: Thomas, P. 2011. Taxus contorta. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on 10 November 2011. Related articles Losing nature&#8217;s medicine cabinet (10/04/2010) In all the discussions of saving the world&#8217;s biodiversity from extinction, one point is often and surprisingly forgotten: the importance of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/11/chemotherapy-tree-facing-extinction/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-31753</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Animal picture of the day: snow leopard spotted in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-snow-leopard-spotted-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-snow-leopard-spotted-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Jul 2011 18:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-snow-leopard-spotted-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Cats, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Picture Of The Day, and Snow Leopards]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan caught on camera trap. Photo by the Wildlife Conservation Society (2009). A new study documents a healthy population of snow leopards in Afghanistan. The research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Studies, reports that researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) were able to identify 30 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan caught on camera trap. Photo by the Wildlife Conservation Society (2009). A new study documents a healthy population of snow leopards in Afghanistan. The research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Studies, reports that researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) were able to identify 30 snow leopards in 16 different locations in the Wakhan Corridor in northeastern part of the country bordering China. WCS plans to next estimate the total snow leopard population size in Wakhan. The global snow leopard population has dropped 20 percent in less than two decades. Scientists estimate there are some 4,500 to 7,500 snow leopards left in the wild. More on the research can be found at Viable population of snow leopards still roam Afghanistan (pictures). Related articlesThis article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-snow-leopard-spotted-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-32260</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Viable population of snow leopards still roam Afghanistan (pictures)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/viable-population-of-snow-leopards-still-roam-afghanistan-pictures/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/viable-population-of-snow-leopards-still-roam-afghanistan-pictures/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2011 19:40:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/07/viable-population-of-snow-leopards-still-roam-afghanistan-pictures/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Human-wildlife Conflict, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Mountains, Pet Trade, Poaching, Poverty, Poverty Alleviation, Predators, Snow Leopards, Top Predators, Tourism, and War]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Wakhan Corridor caught on camera trap. Photo by: Wildlife Conservation Society. Decades of war and poverty has not exterminated snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Afghanistan according to a new paper in the International Journal of Environmental Studies, written by researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Instead the researchers report a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Snow leopard in the Wakhan Corridor caught on camera trap. Photo by: Wildlife Conservation Society. Decades of war and poverty has not exterminated snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in Afghanistan according to a new paper in the International Journal of Environmental Studies, written by researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). Instead the researchers report a healthy population of the world&#8217;s most elusive big cat in Afghanistan&#8217;s remote and peaceful Wakhan Corridor region. Monitored by camera trap in the region, WCS researchers were able to identify 30 snow leopards in 16 different locations. &#8220;This is a wonderful discovery&#8212;it shows that there is real hope for snow leopards in Afghanistan,&#8221; said Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director for Asia Programs in a press release. &#8220;Now our goal is to ensure that these magnificent animals have a secure future as a key part of Afghanistan’s natural heritage.&#8221; Snow leopards in the Wakhan Corridor, which connects Afghanistan with China, are imperiled by poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal capture for the global pet trade. &#8220;For a species like the snow leopard, which occurs at low densities, and a country like Afghanistan where the rule of law is weak&#8221; such threats are &#8216;significant&#8217;, according to the researchers. Snow leopard in the Wakhan Corridor caught on camera trap. Photo by: Wildlife Conservation Society. With help from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), WCS has trained 59 wildlife rangers and works with 55 local communities on governance and education. Although there are few instances of snow leopards preying&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/07/viable-population-of-snow-leopards-still-roam-afghanistan-pictures/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-32266</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photos: wildlife survives warfare in eastern Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/06/photos-wildlife-survives-warfare-in-eastern-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/06/photos-wildlife-survives-warfare-in-eastern-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jun 2011 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/06/photos-wildlife-survives-warfare-in-eastern-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Camera Trapping, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Mammals, Species, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Crested porcupine. Credit: WCS-Afghanistan Despite ongoing warfare and strife, wildlife is surviving in Afghanistan, reports a new study published in the journal Oryx. The research is based on camera-trap surveys, transect surveys, and DNA identification of wildlife scat in the eastern province of Nuristan from 2006-2009. It is the first wildlife census of the war-torn [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Crested porcupine. Credit: WCS-Afghanistan Despite ongoing warfare and strife, wildlife is surviving in Afghanistan, reports a new study published in the journal Oryx. The research is based on camera-trap surveys, transect surveys, and DNA identification of wildlife scat in the eastern province of Nuristan from 2006-2009. It is the first wildlife census of the war-torn province since 1977. The work &#8212; conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists &#8212; confirmed the presence of several important species, including the first documented sighting of the common palm civet in Afghanistan, in the region’s montane deciduous and coniferous forests. Other wildlife included crested porcupine, leopard cat, Asiatic black bear, Asiatic brown bear, markhor, yellow-throated marten, red fox, and rhesus macaque, as well as unknown wild dogs and cats. Asiatic black bear. Leopard cat. Yellow-throated marten. Palm civet. Credits: WCS-Afghanistan “Afghanistan’s environment – like the Afghan people – has shown incredible resilience in the face of decades of instability,&#8221; said lead author Kara Stevens of Michigan State University in a statement. &#8220;However, future support is necessary to ensure that communities can sustainably manage these resources for generations to come.&#8221; Most wildlife work in Afghanistan is funded by USAID. WCS says the investment in resource management projects in conflict regions is a way to &#8220;stabilize areas without military intervention, potentially saving U.S. money and lives.&#8221; &#8220;About 80 percent of Afghanistan’s people depends directly on the country’s natural resources for their survival,&#8221; said Peter Zahler, Deputy Director for the WCS Asia Program. &#8220;USAID has shown great&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/06/photos-wildlife-survives-warfare-in-eastern-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-32348</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Pictures: Massive natural arch discovered in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/03/pictures-massive-natural-arch-discovered-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/03/pictures-massive-natural-arch-discovered-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Mar 2011 20:46:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/03/pictures-massive-natural-arch-discovered-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Green, and Photos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Hazarchishma Natural Bridge. Photo by Ayub Alavi/WCS Researchers in Afghanistan have discovered one of the world&#8217;s largest natural arches, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The arch, located on the northern part of the Bamyan plateau in Central Afghanistan, spans over 200 feet across its base. &#8220;It&#8217;s one of the most spectacular discoveries ever made [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Hazarchishma Natural Bridge. Photo by Ayub Alavi/WCS Researchers in Afghanistan have discovered one of the world&#8217;s largest natural arches, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The arch, located on the northern part of the Bamyan plateau in Central Afghanistan, spans over 200 feet across its base. &#8220;It&#8217;s one of the most spectacular discoveries ever made in this region,&#8221; said Joe Walston, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society&#8217;s Asia Program. &#8220;The arch is emblematic of the natural marvels that still await discovery in Afghanistan.&#8221; The arch was discovered by Wildlife Conservation Society staff Christopher Shank and Ayub Alavi during a wildlife survey in late 2010. It is now named the Hazarchishma Natural Bridge after a nearby village. The total span of arch is 210.6 feet in width making it the 12th largest natural bridge in the world. The largest is Fairy Bridge, which is located in Guangxi, China. It spans 400 feet. WCS is working with the Afghan government and local communities to safeguard wildlife in the war-torn country.This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/03/pictures-massive-natural-arch-discovered-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-32734</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Afghanistan protects 15 additional endangered species</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/03/afghanistan-protects-15-additional-endangered-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/03/afghanistan-protects-15-additional-endangered-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Mar 2010 18:37:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/03/afghanistan-protects-15-additional-endangered-species/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Governance, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Plants, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Trees, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan&#8217;s National Environment Protection Agency (NEP) has added 15 species to its Protected Species List, totaling 48 species now under protection. The new species includes the large-billed reed warbler, which was only recently discovered in the Central Asian nation. Fortunately, by law newly discovered species in Afghanistan receive automatic legal protection. The large-billed reed warbler [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Afghanistan&#8217;s National Environment Protection Agency (NEP) has added 15 species to its Protected Species List, totaling 48 species now under protection. The new species includes the large-billed reed warbler, which was only recently discovered in the Central Asian nation. Fortunately, by law newly discovered species in Afghanistan receive automatic legal protection. The large-billed reed warbler was until recently called the &#8216;world&#8217;s least-known bird&#8217; with only a few individuals collected in sites in India and Thailand. But then in June of this year researchers with the Wildlife Conservaiton Society (WCS) confirmed the birds&#8217; breeding ground in the remote Wakham Corridor in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan, recording more individuals than anyone had ever seen. &#8220;By formally protecting the large-billed reed warbler as well as other wildlife, Afghanistan’s National Environment Protection Agency has shown a strong commitment to conserving its natural heritage – even during these challenging times,&#8221; said Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director for Asia programs, in a press release. &#8220;WCS believes that with 80 percent of Afghans directly dependent on their natural resources for survival, the country’s reconstruction and stability depends on sustainable resource management.&#8221; New species added to Afghanistan Protected List: Eastern barbastelle, Barbastella leucomela Bactrian deer, Cervus elaphus bactrianus Indian gazelle, Gazella bennetti Goitered gazelle Gazella subgutturosa Striped hyena Hyaena hyaena Stone marten Martes foina Mehely&#8217;s horseshoe bat Rhinolophus mehelyi Blanford&#8217;s fox Vulpes cana Large-billed reed warbler Acrocephalus orinus Eastern imperial eagle Aquila heliaca Pallas&#8217; fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus White-rumped vulture Gyps bengalensis Marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris Dalmation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/03/afghanistan-protects-15-additional-endangered-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-35549</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Breeding area of &#8216;world&#8217;s least known bird&#8217; discovered in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/01/breeding-area-of-worlds-least-known-bird-discovered-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/01/breeding-area-of-worlds-least-known-bird-discovered-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jan 2010 20:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/01/breeding-area-of-worlds-least-known-bird-discovered-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Birds, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Named in 2007 the &#8216;world&#8217;s least known bird&#8217;, the large-billed reed warbler has officially lost that title as researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have discovered its breeding ground in the remote Wakham Corridor in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan. &#8220;Practically nothing is known about this species, so this discovery of the breeding area [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Named in 2007 the &#8216;world&#8217;s least known bird&#8217;, the large-billed reed warbler has officially lost that title as researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have discovered its breeding ground in the remote Wakham Corridor in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan. &#8220;Practically nothing is known about this species, so this discovery of the breeding area represents a flood of new information on the large-billed reed warbler,&#8221; said Colin Poole, Executive Director of WCS’s Asia Program said in a press release. &#8220;This new knowledge of the bird also indicates that the Wakhan Corridor still holds biological secrets and is critically important for future conservation efforts in Afghanistan.&#8221; First discovered in 1867 in India, over a century would pass before another specimen of the bird was found in Thailand in 2006. Two years later, Robert Timmins heard a strange bird song coming from a small bird in the Wakhan Corridor. Later, a visit to the Natural History Museum in Tring, United Kingdom led Timmins to believe that the species was the almost completely unknown large-billed reed warbler. Large-billed reed warbler caught in a researcher&#8217;s mist net. Image courtesy of WCS-Afghanistan. In June WCS researchers returned to the site: using the Timmins&#8217; tape of the bird song they were able to attract more individual large-billed reed warblers than anyone had ever reported seeing before. They examined and performed DNA testing on 20 of the birds, confirming that the flock was indeed the &#8216;world&#8217;s least known bird&#8217;. The status of the large-billed reed warbler&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/01/breeding-area-of-worlds-least-known-bird-discovered-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-35847</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Apple&#8217;s Snow Leopard helps real-life cats</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/09/apples-snow-leopard-helps-real-life-cats/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/09/apples-snow-leopard-helps-real-life-cats/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Sep 2009 19:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/09/apples-snow-leopard-helps-real-life-cats/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Apple&#8217;s release of its new operating system, dubbed &#8220;Snow Leopard&#8221;, is helping raise awareness of the plight of one of the world&#8217;s most endangered big cats, reports the Snow Leopard Trust, a group working to protect the real-life snow leopard in its mountainous habitat across Central Asia. &#8220;This is a boon for wild snow leopards,&#8221; [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Apple&#8217;s release of its new operating system, dubbed &#8220;Snow Leopard&#8221;, is helping raise awareness of the plight of one of the world&#8217;s most endangered big cats, reports the Snow Leopard Trust, a group working to protect the real-life snow leopard in its mountainous habitat across Central Asia. &#8220;This is a boon for wild snow leopards,&#8221; said Brad Rutherford, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, &#8220;Apple is helping to show the world the beauty and majesty of this rare creature.&#8221; Rutherford says the software launch has made consumers aware that the snow leopard is indeed a real animal and encouraged some of Apple&#8217;s partners to support snow leopard conservation, including donating a portion of profits. More than three dozen Apple Specialist stores from California to New York are helping the Snow Leopard Trust sell cub adoption kits (specially priced for Mac’s new OS release) to raise money for conservation. Tekserve, an Apple Specialist retailer in New York, has decided to donate all the proceeds from the first 100 Mac OS X operating systems they sell. A full list of participating Apple Specialists is available at www.applespecialist.com/adoptions. &#8220;The launch of the new OS will hopefully put snow leopards front and center and drive people to find out more,&#8221; Rutherford said. &#8220;We have a new donor match going on through October,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;For all the Apple partners, anything they give will be matched—that means they can have double the impact for snow leopard conservation.” The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/09/apples-snow-leopard-helps-real-life-cats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36348</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photos: snow leopard in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/08/photos-snow-leopard-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/08/photos-snow-leopard-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>31 Aug 2009 01:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/08/photos-snow-leopard-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Photos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/08/photos-snow-leopard-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36381</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Photos: camera traps capture snow leopards in Afghanistan</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/photos-camera-traps-capture-snow-leopards-in-afghanistan/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/photos-camera-traps-capture-snow-leopards-in-afghanistan/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jun 2009 20:32:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/06/photos-camera-traps-capture-snow-leopards-in-afghanistan/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Photos, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It has been estimated that Afghanistan only has 100 snow leopards left, however photos from camera traps placed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) show that there may be hope for snow leopards in the war-torn nation after all. Working in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, WCS set up five camera traps. Four of the five camera [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[It has been estimated that Afghanistan only has 100 snow leopards left, however photos from camera traps placed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) show that there may be hope for snow leopards in the war-torn nation after all. Working in Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, WCS set up five camera traps. Four of the five camera traps took photos of snow leopards, including 22 images in total. WCS, along with funding from USAID, hopes to work with the Afghan government to establish the Wakhan Corridor as a protected area. In April, Afghanistan’s first National Park was announced in Band-e-Amir. The snow leopard is protected under Afghanistan’s new endangered species list, which debuted on June 3rd. Globally the species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and, besides Afghanistan, may be found in Nepal, Bhutan, China, India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and less than a hundred individuals in Uzbekistan. Photos taken first week of June 2009 in the Wakhan Corridor in northeastern Afghanistan. Photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society. Detail of photo. Photo credit: Wildlife Conservation Society. Related articles How to Save Snow Leopards (10/28/2008) The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the rarest and most elusive big cat species with a population of 4,500 to 7,500 spread across a range of 1.2 to 1.6 million kilometers in some of the world&#x27;s harshest and most desolate landscapes. Found in arid environments and at elevations sometimes reaching 18,000 feet (5,500 meters), the species faces great threats despite its extreme&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/photos-camera-traps-capture-snow-leopards-in-afghanistan/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36672</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Another milestone in Afghanistan: listing of endangered species</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/another-milestone-in-afghanistan-listing-of-endangered-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/another-milestone-in-afghanistan-listing-of-endangered-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Jun 2009 00:04:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/06/another-milestone-in-afghanistan-listing-of-endangered-species/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hunting, In-situ Conservation, Law, Politics, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Thirty-three species are included in Afghanistan’s first-ever listing of protected wildlife. Well-known animals like the snow leopard, wolves, and brown bears received full legal protection from hunting and harvesting alongside lesser-known species like the paghman salamander, goitered gazelle, and Himalayan elm tree. The protected species list consists of twenty mammals, seven birds, four plants, one [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Thirty-three species are included in Afghanistan’s first-ever listing of protected wildlife. Well-known animals like the snow leopard, wolves, and brown bears received full legal protection from hunting and harvesting alongside lesser-known species like the paghman salamander, goitered gazelle, and Himalayan elm tree. The protected species list consists of twenty mammals, seven birds, four plants, one amphibian, and one insect. However, there are plans to expand the list: the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) predicts an expansion of up to 70 species by the years end. Snow leopards are one of 33 species now protected by the Government of Afghanistan. Image courtesy of Julie Larsen Maher of Wildlife Conservation Society. The listing was determined by the Afghanistan Wildlife Exectivbe Committee (AWEC), a group set up by Afghanistan’s National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA); WCS; the Ministry of Afrgiculture, Irrigation, and Livestock; and Kabul University. &#8220;The Wildlife Conservation Society commends the Afghanistan&#8217;s National Environment Protection Agency for showing a continued commitment to conserving its natural heritage – even during these challenging times,&#8221; said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of WCS. &#8220;WCS believes that conservation can often serve as diplomacy, and we are optimistic that this commitment to conservation will benefit all of Afghanistan&#8217;s people.&#8221; NEPA takes on the responsibility of managing protected species, including writing recovery plans for endangered species. The organization plans to evaluate species’ populations every five years. The announcement comes close on the heels of Afghanistan designating its first National Park in Band-e-Amir. Related articles Afghanistan announces first national&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/06/another-milestone-in-afghanistan-listing-of-endangered-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36683</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>UN: Population growth rates fall to 1.1 percent in Asia-Pacific</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/05/un-population-growth-rates-fall-to-1-1-percent-in-asia-pacific/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/05/un-population-growth-rates-fall-to-1-1-percent-in-asia-pacific/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 May 2009 17:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/05/un-population-growth-rates-fall-to-1-1-percent-in-asia-pacific/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pacific Ocean, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Environment, Food, Green, Population, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The population growth rate in the Asia-Pacific region has dropped to 1.1 percent, according to the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2008, compiled by the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The 1.1 percent growth rate is the lowest in the developing world. The study found a 0.5 [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The population growth rate in the Asia-Pacific region has dropped to 1.1 percent, according to the Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2008, compiled by the UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The 1.1 percent growth rate is the lowest in the developing world. The study found a 0.5 percent drop in the number of children born per woman in the region during a ten year period. During 1995-2000, each woman had an average of 2.9 children in the Asia-Pacific region, while from 2000-2005 that number dropped to 2.4 children per woman. Boat traffic in Shang-hai, China. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler. “We are familiar with population ageing in countries like Japan but the same phenomenon is now evident in many countries,” said Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. “Once the total fertility rate falls below the replacement rate of 2.1, we can expect the region’s population to start shrinking.” Some countries in the region have already seen fertility drop below the replacement rate of 2.1, including China, Thailand, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Populations in countries like Georgia and Armenia are currently declining. However, other nations in the region still possess fertility rates above 3.0 children per woman. These include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Philippines. Despite a slowing population growth, Asia still contains 60 percent of global population and some of the most densely populated places in the world. The world’s current total population is estimated at 6.7&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/05/un-population-growth-rates-fall-to-1-1-percent-in-asia-pacific/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36738</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Afghanistan announces first national park on Earth Day</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/04/afghanistan-announces-first-national-park-on-earth-day/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2009/04/afghanistan-announces-first-national-park-on-earth-day/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Apr 2009 05:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2009/04/afghanistan-announces-first-national-park-on-earth-day/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Parks, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[War-wearied Afghanis received uplifting news on Earth Day this year. Their government has announced the creation of the nation’s first national park, Band-e-Amir, protecting a one-of-a-kind landscape encompassing six sky-blue lakes separated by natural dams. Announced by Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) at a ceremony in the FAO Building at the Ministry of Agriculture, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[War-wearied Afghanis received uplifting news on Earth Day this year. Their government has announced the creation of the nation’s first national park, Band-e-Amir, protecting a one-of-a-kind landscape encompassing six sky-blue lakes separated by natural dams. Announced by Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) at a ceremony in the FAO Building at the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock in Kabul this morning, key funding for the park was provided by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID). WCS scientist Chris Shank meets with two Afghan park guards. Photo by: Chris Shank from WCS. In addition, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) provided support with wildlife surveys, identifying park boundaries, and working with local government and communities. WCS developed the management plan and laws for the park. The park’s creators hope the system set up for Band-e-Amir National Park will be extended to new parks in the future. “At its core, Band-e-Amir is an Afghan initiative supported by the international community. It is a park created for Afghans, by Afghans, for the new Afghanistan,” said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Band-e-Amir will be Afghanistan’s first national park and sets the precedent for a future national park system.” The largest of the six lakes. Photo by: Alex Dehgan from WCS. The park will be protecting one of Afghanistan’s most treasured natural areas. Six lakes resting high in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Central Afghanistan are separated by natural dams made from the rare mineral deposit&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2009/04/afghanistan-announces-first-national-park-on-earth-day/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-36794</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>How to Save Snow Leopards</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/how-to-save-snow-leopards/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/how-to-save-snow-leopards/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2008/12/how-to-save-snow-leopards/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Cats, Endangered Species, Environment, Forests, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hunting, In-situ Conservation, Interviews, Mammals, Poaching, Sustainable Development, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[How to Save Snow Leopards How to Save Snow Leopards: An interview with Dr. Rodney Jackson of the Snow Leopard Conservancy Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 28, 2008 The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the rarest and most elusive big cat species with a population of 4,500 to 7,500 spread across a range [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[How to Save Snow Leopards How to Save Snow Leopards: An interview with Dr. Rodney Jackson of the Snow Leopard Conservancy Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 28, 2008 The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the rarest and most elusive big cat species with a population of 4,500 to 7,500 spread across a range of 1.2 to 1.6 million kilometers in some of the world&#x27;s harshest and most desolate landscapes. Found in arid environments and at elevations sometimes reaching 18,000 feet (5,500 meters), the species faces great threats despite its extreme habitat. These threats vary across its range, but in all countries where it is found &#8212; Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and possibly Myanmar &#8212; the species is at risk. In some countries snow leopard are directly hunted for their pelt, in others they are imperiled by depletion of prey, loss of habitat, and killing as a predator of livestock. These threats, combined with the cat&#x27;s large habitat requirements, means conservation through the establishment of protected areas alone may not be enough save it from extinction in the wild in many of the countries in which it lives. Camera trap picture of a wild snow leopard. Photo courtesy of the Snow Leopard Conservancy Working to stave off this fate in half a dozen of its range countries is the Snow Leopard Conservancy. Founded by Dr. Rodney Jackson, a biologist who has been studying snow leopard in the wild for 30 years,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/how-to-save-snow-leopards/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-37901</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Afghanistan&#8217;s recovery effort drives poaching of rare wildlife</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2007/08/afghanistans-recovery-effort-drives-poaching-of-rare-wildlife/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2007/08/afghanistans-recovery-effort-drives-poaching-of-rare-wildlife/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Aug 2007 14:30:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2007/08/29140736/brnxz_977-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2008/12/afghanistans-recovery-effort-drives-poaching-of-rare-wildlife/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan and Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecotourism, Environment, Environmental Law, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Interviews, Parks, Protected Areas, Snow Leopards, Sustainable Development, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Few people associate Afghanistan with wildlife and it would come as a surprise to many that the war-torn, but fledging democracy is home to snow leopards, Persian leopards, five species of canid (wild dog), Marco Polo Sheep, Asiatic Black Bear, Brown Bears, Striped Hyenas, and numerous bird of prey species. While much of this biodiversity [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[Few people associate Afghanistan with wildlife and it would come as a surprise to many that the war-torn, but fledging democracy is home to snow leopards, Persian leopards, five species of canid (wild dog), Marco Polo Sheep, Asiatic Black Bear, Brown Bears, Striped Hyenas, and numerous bird of prey species. While much of this biodiversity has survived despite years of civil strife, Afghanistan&#8217;s wildlife faces new pressures from the very people who are charged with rebuilding the country: contractors and the development community are driving the trade in rare and endangered wildlife. This development, coupled with lack of laws regulating resource management and growing instability, complicate efforts to protect the country&#8217;s wildlife. Working to address these challenges is Dr. Alex Dehgan, Afghanistan Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). WCS is working to implement the Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program, a three-year project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote wildlife and resource conservation in the country. Dr. Alex Dehgan with a leopard pelt during a wildlife trade survey in Afghanistan. Photo Credit WCS Dehgan believes that protecting Afghanistan&#8217;s resources is key to the recovery process and will help improve stability and security, especially in areas where military intervention has fallen short and government presence is sometimes non-existent. &#8220;Environment is security,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;To date, it is clear that more military weapons, or training for the army alone won&#8217;t result in peace in Afghanistan. One essential part of the security equation is better management of natural&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2007/08/afghanistans-recovery-effort-drives-poaching-of-rare-wildlife/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-38988</doi>				</item>
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