| Community
Incentives Programmes
Snow
Leopard Enterprise
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Napkins
& rings with pugmarks
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The Snow Leopard
Enterprise is one of the initiatives
taken by the Snow Leopard Project
of WWF-P, that approaches the predator
livestock conflict in an innovative
and affective manner. It offers
herders, and others, an opportunity
to increase their household income
in return for a commitment to protect
the Snow leopard and its natural
prey base. To initiate the Snow
Leopard Enterprise (SLE), a feasibility
study was carried out in Kuju, Chitral.
After reviewing the
results of the feasibility study
and assessing the trends in international
markets, it was decided that the
community should be provided training
in making embroidered napkins.
In this context, training was provided
for the production of napkins as
per specifications of the International
Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT). Once
the napkins are ready, these will
be exported to USA. As per the Snow
Leopard Enterprise contract/ ToP
signed, the community will safeguard
the Snow leopard and its prey base,
and in return get contribution to
their conservation fund.
Besides napkins, the project intends
to work on some other products,
such as:
• Napkin rings
• Candle stands
• Chopsticks
To support the Snow Leopard Enterprise
component of the project, the Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation(SDC)
has funded a one year project named
“ Income Generation for Snow
Leopard Conservation(IGSC)”
Livestock
Husbandry Program
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Napkins
& rings with pugmarks
|
The program
comprises of two phases.
• Animal health and disease
control program.
• Improved animal husbandry
program.
The purpose
of the program is to make the herders
understand that keeping fewer, yet
healthier animals rather produce
several but low producing animals
in terms of meat, milk and other
products.
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|
Herders
Banda at Shahoo Pastures |
It shall also minimise
pressure on the pastures and will
provide more space to the ungulates
to grow, improving the natural prey
base to Snow leopard.
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