It is with great sadness that the staff at the CMS Secretariat learned of the passing of Dr Lkhagvasuren Badamjav, a long serving and well-respected member of the CMS Scientific Council.
CMS and its Family set the course for developing their contributions to the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework which is expected to provide a "New Deal for Nature" for the entire international community. Two years away from its adoption, the post-2020 framework presents the opportunity to raise the visibility of migratory wildlife and promote its conservation. Last week, the CMS Standing Committee (Bonn, 23-24 October 2018) endorsed the establishment of a Working Group (WG) on the development of CMS Family contributions to the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Range State representatives, scientists and conservation experts met last week at the International Academy for Nature Conservation on the German Isle of Vilm to review the implementation of the CMS Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI), to discuss challenges and strategy for further action.
The CMS Secretariat is pleased to announce the addition of Przewalski’s Horse, Gobi Bear, and Steppe Eagle, all proposed by Mongolia, to the CMS Appendices at COP12. Przewalski’s Horses were last seen in 1969 in the wild near Mongolian border in Trans-Altai Gobi. The population is currently estimated to consist of more than 50 mature individuals free-living in the wild for the past seven years.
In the Hollywood blockbuster The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), the adventurous photographer Sean O’Connell decides not to take a picture of a snow leopard because he wishes to appreciate the unique moment of spotting the elusive and beautiful ‘ghost cat’.
В голливудском блокбастере «Невероятная жизнь Уолтера Митти» (2013), фотограф Шон О'Коннелл решает не фотографировать снежного барса, потому что он хочет оценить уникальный момент обнаружения неуловимой и красивой «призрачной кошки».
At the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which took place from 24 September to 5 October in Johannesburg, South Africa, CMS hosted a side event on Argali sheep. The event - “Sustainable Use for Conservation – How CMS Can Provide a Complementary Tool to CITES” - focused on aspects of sustainable use of the Argali sheep with trophy hunting as a potential conservation measure.
23 October 2016 was International Snow Leopard Day, which is dedicated to raising awareness for the plight of this iconic species. The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits mountain terrains of twelve Range States in Central and South Asia. With between 4,500 and 6,000 animals remaining in the wild today, Snow Leopards are one of the most endangered big cats in the world.
Central Asian ecosystems, home to some of the most spectacular migrations of wild mammals in the world face increasing threats. Thirty experts active in Central Asia convened at the International Academy of Nature Conservation on Vilm Island in Germany to discuss how to advance their common goal of conserving Central Asian mammals and their habitats. The workshop was held on 22 to 26 August 2016 and focused on setting priorities for the implementation of the CMS Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI).
Government representatives and experts met in Berlin on 5 July 2016 to ensure the long-term survival of the snow leopard, one of the most endangered big cats in the world.
Barriers to movement such as fences are among the main threats to the survival of large mammals in Central Asia. The region, sometimes referred to as “the Serengeti of the North”, is one of the world’s last hot spots for animal migrations
