Pictures: "Lost" Leopard—And Poachers—Seen in Afghanistan

Sly as a Fox

Photograph courtesy WCS Afghanistan Program

A red fox—a species common to North America—walks in front of a camera trap in Afghanistan in September.

Seeing top predators such as leopards and foxes tells conservationists that the animals are finding enough prey to survive, Ghani Ghuriani, deputy minister of Afghanistan's Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock department, said in a statement.

"This means that the rangelands can still support ibex, urial [wild sheep], 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" their livestock.

(Also see "First Pictures: Snow Leopards Rebounding in Afghanistan.")

Published December 6, 2011

Curious Cat

Photograph courtesy WCS Afghanistan Program

A wildcat, a distant relative of the domestic cat, peers inquisitively into the camera in August.

In recent years Afghanistan has launched several initiatives to protect wildlife, including the country's first and only national park, Band-e-Amir, which was designated in 2009.

Summer tourism to the park, co-managed by local villagers and the government, provides jobs and revenue for local communities.

(See "House Cat Origin Traced to Middle Eastern Wildcat Ancestor.")

Published December 6, 2011

Meandering Marten

Photograph courtesy WCS Afghanistan Program

A stone marten—a member of the weasel family—checks out a camera trap in September.

Camera traps can be valuable research tools in remote areas, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. For example, the devices record data that can help piece together population estimates for elusive species, the group says.

(See pictures: "'Lost' Deer, Rare Cuckoo Caught in Camera Traps.")

Published December 6, 2011

Caught in the Act

Photograph courtesy WCS Afghanistan Program

Poachers pursue an ibex, which triggered the camera trap not long before this photo was taken in October.

Illegal poaching is still a "very real threat," Peter Zahler, deputy director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia Program, said in a statement.

"We are thrilled by these images and the story of survival that they tell, but we were sobered by the fact that the cameras also took photographs of local people walking past with guns," Zahler said.

(See "Camera-Trap Pictures: Mammals—And a Poacher—Exposed.")

Published December 6, 2011