Zoo vet assists research on snow leopards

The Blade

TOLEDO

A Toledo Zoo veterinarian is still giddy after participating in a landmark conservation research effort with a notoriously elusive big cat.

Ric Berlinski, senior staff veterinarian, recently returned from eastern Kyrgyzstan in central Asia, where he helped trap a wild female snow leopard and fit a GPS collar on her. She was the first to be collared in the country, and one of only about 35 to ever be tracked.

“They live in some of the harshest environments you could think of a predator being in,” Berlinksi said.

The endangered, solitary cats live at high altitude above the tree line on rocky outcroppings and cliffs. Their superb camouflage and secretive nature make them extremely difficult to find. Many locals have never seen one and refer to them as “mountain ghosts.”

Berlinski said previously collared snow leopards were humanely snared in areas near human settlements, primarily in Nepal, Afghanistan and Mongolia. The human-wildlife conflict changes the cats’ behavior, most notably as they hunt readily available domestic sheep and goats.

“The study area we were in is very, very remote,” he said. “We have snow leopards in their natural environment without that human-encroachment factor, so we see a more natural pattern as to what their range is and how they are obtaining their prey. It makes it very, very valuable information.”

Jeff Sailer, executive director at the zoo, said the effort is an example of the zoo’s dedication to preserving wildlife around the world.