Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

FPWC trap cameras in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge recorded a Caucasi

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • FPWC trap cameras in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge recorded a Caucasi

    FPWC's trap cameras in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge recorded a
    Caucasian leopard!

    02-08-2013 17:49:16 | Armenia

    The sensational video, which is the first recording of a rare
    Caucasian leopard in Armenia since six years, was shot by a trap
    camera in the night from June 30 to July 1 in a very remote area of
    FPWC's Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. The refuge encompasses all in all
    2000 hectares stretching along the border of Khosrov Forest State
    Reserve in the vicinity of Urtsadzor village. FPWC maintains the
    territory as a protected area with the support of VivaCell-MTS, the
    British organization World Land Trust and the Dutch Committee of the
    IUCN (IUCN NL). The Caucasus Wildlife Refuge is the only privately
    managed protected area in the entire South Caucasus.

    Today, in a press conference at `Hayeli' Press Club FPWC and
    VivaCell-MTS presented the video as well as their joint conservation
    efforts in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. The camera trap video does
    not show the full body of the leopard but only the spotted tail of the
    big cat as the camera starts recording only after a short delay of
    approx. 5 seconds. But the FPWC rangers have again adjusted the trap
    cameras along the probable track of the big cat and hopefully a video
    showing the full animal will be soon recorded.

    But the new video showing a glimpse of the secretive animal is not the
    only proof for its presence in the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge. Already
    since spring 2012 the FPWC rangers collected several samples of
    leopard fur and faeces in the same area where now the video was shot.
    The samples were genetically analysed in an Israeli laboratory
    connected to Jerusalem Zoo with the result that they originated from a
    Caucasian leopard (Pantera pardus saxicolor). Now the video recording
    finally proves that a leopard has chosen FPWC's Caucasus Wildlife
    Refuge as a safe haven offering an undisturbed natural habitat and
    plenty of prey.

    The video footage of the leopard as well as other video recordings
    showing for example Bezoar goats, Syrian brown bears, Bearded
    vultures, wolves, wild boars, foxes and many other species are a
    tangible result of the joint efforts of FPWC and the organization's
    partners since 2010. For three years the area is now under permanent
    monitoring by rangers operating from a ranger station. Poaching,
    grazing, illegal logging and any other negative human impact is
    strictly prohibited. This efficient management approach bears fruits -
    the Caucasus WildlifeRefuge provides a safe wildlife corridor in the
    buffer zone of the Khosrov State Reserve with increasing wildlife
    sightings in particular of large Bezoar goat herds. The latter is
    extremely important as the presence of a leopard in the area is
    closely linked to the availability of enough prey namely Bezoar goats.

    According to estimations only 3 - 5 leopards still roam in Armenia
    (some of them are migratory). Each leopard needs habitat of some
    18,000 - 25,000 hectares, and their populations have been decimated by
    poaching, and degradation of habitat caused by livestock grazing,
    plant gathering and deforestation. The natural corridors now used by
    the big cat are the Zangezur and Megri mountains in southern Armenia.
    In a long term perspective FPWC in cooperation with VivaCell-MTS,
    World Land Trust and IUCN NL strives to extend the successful
    management approach of the Caucasus Wildlife Refuge to some of these
    areas in order to save the Caucasian Leopard, Armenia's most
    charismatic large carnivore, for future generations.

    VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) is Armenia's leading mobile operator,
    having the widest 2G/3.75G/4G network reach and spreading a wide range
    of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the
    Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on 1st July 2005
    and in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed to build a
    nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell-MTS
    drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any
    development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. For
    more information, visit www.vivacell.am
    * * *
    Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS") is the leading telecommunications
    group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice,
    broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one
    of the world's fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries,
    the Group services over 100 million mobile subscribers. The Group has
    been awarded GSM licenses in Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Armenia
    and Belarus, a region that boasts a total population of more than 200
    million. Since June 2000, MTS' Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the
    New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information
    about the MTS Group can be found at www.mtsgsm.com


    News from Armenia and Diaspora - Noyan Tapan
    - See more at: http://www.nt.am/en/news/184732/#sthash.duy1WqWl.dpuf



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X