From Newsgroup: rec.sport.rowing
<div>Snow leopards are perfectly adapted to the cold, barren landscape of their high-altitude home, but human threats have created an uncertain future for the cats. Despite a range of over 2 million km2, scientist estimate that there may only be between 3,920 and 6,390 snow leopards left in the wild.</div><div></div><div></div><div>The snow leopard's main prey in Nepal - blue sheep - will provide one snow leopard with food for a week. Besides blue sheep, snow leopards feed on the ibex, Himalayan tahr, marmot, pika, hares, small rodents and game birds.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>mac os x snow leopard download usb</div><div></div><div>DOWNLOAD:
https://t.co/wQ5vHZgKIv </div><div></div><div></div><div>Snow leopards live in high-altitude mountainous terrain, usually at elevations of 3,000-4,500m. They prefer steep, broken landscapes such as cliffs, rocky outcrops and ravines. Snow leopards have short forelimbs and long hind legs, which allow them to traverse and stay agile in their steep and rugged environments.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Snow leopards are really well camouflaged! Their long fur and less distinctive markings that seem to change shape with body movement make identifying individual snow leopards difficult compared to other big cats like tigers, leopards and jaguars, which have more distinctive markings.</div><div></div><div></div><div>There could be as few as 4,000 leopards in the wild, however the exact number is unknown as they are extremely elusive. The main threats they face are habitat loss and deterioration, human-wildlife conflict, loss of prey, poaching for the illegal trade, and climate change. As a result, snow leopards really need our help, WWF is working alongside communities, Governments and other organisations to address some of the threats snow leopards face.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Hiking in the hills of northern Pakistan in the 1970s, WCS Senior Conservationist George Schaller spotted a snow leopard some 150 feet away. "Wisps of clouds swirled around," he later wrote in Stones of Silence, "transforming her into a ghost creature, part myth and part reality."</div><div></div><div></div><div>Your adoptions will help protect snow leopards and help fund our other vital work around the world. When you choose an animal adoption, you are supporting both your chosen animals as well as wider work to help bring our world back to life.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Adopt a snow leopard and you will give us a huge boost to our work. Adoptions not only help fund our work with local communities to monitor snow leopard movements and reduce human-snow leopard conflict but also fund our other vital work around the world.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Yes, you can adopt a snow leopard with WWF. Donations from snow leopard adoptions go both directly to support snow leopard, as well as to fund our wider work to protect nature and our planet. Adoptions are symbolic for donating and supporting our conservation work with different species. By adopting a snow leopard, you will be supporting a whole group of snow leopards, rather than one individual.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>You can adopt a snow leopard with WWF from just 3 a month if you pay via Direct Debit, or with a minimum one-off payment of 36. To adopt a snow leopard with WWF, select your donation amount on the widget, click 'Adopt Now' and then complete your donation via our secure online checkout.</div><div></div><div></div><div>You can adopt a snow leopard with WWF from just 3 a month via Direct Debit, or from just 36 via a one-off payment. Your money could go further if you pay by Direct Debit as this supports our long-term planning and helps keep our administration costs down.</div><div></div><div></div><div>When you adopt a snow leopard with WWF, 50% of your donation will fund programs of work that directly support snow leopards while the remaining 50% will fund other projects that need it most. After adopting a snow leopard you'll receive a welcome pack including an optional toy and note from the WWF team welcoming you on board. We'll keep you updated on how you're supporting our vital work by sending you three adoption updates a year.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Snow leopard adoptions help us; train and equip community anti-poaching patrols; work with local communities to monitor snow leopards and their prey; support community-run livestock insurance schemes to help local herders protect their livelihoods.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Snow leopards are carnivorous and primarily stalk and hunt for Blue Sheep as their favored meal. However, they will consume other ungulates, birds and small mammals. The Snow Leopard employs the stalk and ambush method of hunting.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Claw raking trunks of trees, scraping through substrates, urinating on trees and rocky outcroppings along with head rubbing are methods snow leopards utilize to communicate with one another and mark out their territories. This method of communication is heightened during breeding season.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Snow leopards prey upon the blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalayas, as well as the mountain ibex found over most of the rest of their range. Though these powerful predators can kill animals three times their weight, they also eat smaller fare, such as marmots, hares, and game birds.</div><div></div><div></div><div>One Indian snow leopard, protected and observed in a national park, is reported to have consumed five blue sheep, nine Tibetan woolly hares, 25 marmots, five domestic goats, one domestic sheep, and 15 birds in a single year.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Countries have also been strengthening their enforcement against poaching, and conservation groups work with herders to develop systems to keep snow leopards away from their livestock. Others are building awareness about the important role these big cats play in their environment. As a flagship species, snow leopards are essentially a mascot for their entire ecosystem: If they survive, so will many of the other species in their habitat.</div><div></div><div></div><div>In the nearly 11 years that Sharma has studied snow leopards in the highlands of Central Asia, he has seen the thick-furred, rosette-marked feline only twice. His one close encounter was with a large male with a scarred face in southern Mongolia, while standing on a mountain ledge near a freshly killed ibex, a favorite meal for snow leopards.</div><div></div><div></div><div>A new Microsoft AI solution is accelerating the process, with a machine learning model that can identify snow leopards and automatically classify hundreds of thousands of photos in a matter of minutes.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Based on current knowledge, the risk of infected animals, including this snow leopard, spreading the virus to humans is considered low. COVID-19 remains predominantly a disease transmitted from person to person. The Zoo initiated all necessary safety precautions and public health inspections before re-opening last spring and remains open throughout the winter.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Senior staff veterinarian Dr. Zoli Gyimesi met with the keeper staff who care for the cats to establish additional precautions when caring for the snow leopards. This includes enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE). All Zoo staff are following COVID-19 safety protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Louisville Metro Health and Wellness. The snow leopards are off exhibit while NeeCee recovers and while the Zoo awaits the confirmatory results on the remaining two snow leopards.</div><div></div><div></div><div>The three snow leopards began exhibiting minor respiratory symptoms, including an occasional dry cough or wheeze, within the last two weeks. It is suspected that NeeCee acquired the infection from an asymptomatic staff member, despite precautions by the Zoo. The snow leopards were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection with approval by state officials from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Department for Public Health. In April, Zoo keepers working with cats, non-human primates, bats and ferrets began wearing PPE when near the animals. All Zoo staff go through a health screening at the start of their day, stay at home if feeling unwell and are tested if symptoms of COVID-19 arise.</div><div></div><div></div><div>This is the first confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a snow leopard. This discovery contributes to the growing knowledge about this novel coronavirus and transmission between people and animals.</div><div></div><div></div><div>The objective of this 20-yr retrospective study was to review and summarize causes of mortality in the North American (NA) snow leopard population to inform and enhance animal health and husbandry practices. Pathology reports were requested from all NA zoological institutions housing snow leopards that died between 01 January 1999 and 31 December 2019. Data were reviewed and cause of death (COD) and concurrent diseases were summarized and compared by age group, organ system, and disease process. The 241 snow leopards in this report include 109 males, 130 females, and two of undetermined sex. Among them were 116 geriatric snow leopards (>15 yr), 72 adults (15-3 yr), 16 juveniles (3 yr to 2 mo), 32 neonates (2 mo to 0 days), and five fetuses (</div><div></div><div></div><div>The naming rights for the snow leopard cub will be auctioned off as part of Como Friends annual Sunset Affair Gala in July. All proceeds support continued improvements and operations of Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, and its education and conservation programs.</div><div></div><div> df19127ead</div>
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