Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
courtesy of Sakhawat Ali

Today’s good news is from the Good News Network.

Rare Sighting of Four Snow Leopards Together Sparks Frenzy of Excitement – (WATCH)

By

Andy Corbley –

In the remote mountains of northern Pakistan, four majestic snow leopards have been recorded recently moving through the snow-covered hills in a piece of footage that has ignited a flurry of excitement among conservationists.

These animals are seldom seen alone, much less in a group, and it’s being considered a sign of success for Pakistan’s conservation efforts in the animal’s habitat.

“For the past 15 days, I had been noticing leopard pawmarks. While I was on the roof of my house, I used binoculars to observe the mountains and spotted a female snow leopard along with her four cubs,” the photographer Sakhawat Ali told GNN.

“As a wildlife lover, I was extremely happy to see the snow leopards. I quickly moved closer and filmed them from a distance of about 150 meters.”

Ali lives in the remote village of Hushe and is also a gamekeeper at the Central Karakorum National Park in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region, where the sighting was made. Snow leopards thrive here; their coats allow them to blend into the snowy mountains and remain undetected by their prey species.

That a female could have three large and healthy cubs is a sign that as much as the snow leopard population is doing well, prey populations of Siberian ibex, argali, roe deer, and Thorvold’s deer must also be thriving.

Still, the snow leopard is considered vulnerable by the IUCN Red List because of its susceptibility to habitat loss and fragmentation across the mountain ranges in which it lives.

Pakistan, and indeed all 12 of the snow leopard range countries, have made great strides in halting and reversing snow leopard declines over the last twenty years. CNN reported that local villagers celebrated Ali’s footage, even though snow leopards sometimes kill livestock.

Dr. Zakir Hussain, the Chief Conservator of Parks and Wildlife for Gilgit-Baltistan, told CNN that 80% of the region’s communities are engaged in the tracking, monitoring, and reporting snow leopard populations on a citizen science basis.

The snow leopard can be found in Russia, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan, which together make up the Global Snow Leopard Forum, an international platform for coordinating and sharing conservation strategies to protect this borderless wanderer between state wildlife and environment ministries and NGOs like the Snow Leopard Trust.

WATCH them move across a snowy landscape… 

The good news here is that conservation efforts are showing results. Today’s JohnKu talks about conservation. I hope you have a super weekend.

Preservation by John W. Howell © 2025

Saving animals,

Is a step to save ourselves . . .

We all should do it.

 

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

74 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  6. Wonderful news, John. Little by little, and against all odds, we’re making progress. YAY! BTW, a mountain lion youngster crossed the road I was driving on – through a mountainous area. It was beautiful — but I was ever so glad to be in the car.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Dear John
    I only know the snow leopard from Peter Matthiessen’s brilliant book ‘The Snow Leopard’. Great to hear that these animals are recovering.
    Wishing you a happy weekend
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I caught this story on TV news and found it encouraging. While I’m not a “cat-person,” I do find it hopeful that a species like the snow leopard hasn’t completely died out. Thanks for passing along this good news!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Yay for snow leopards and for people stepping up to make sure we don’t lose them and other endangered species. Thanks for sharing this, John:)

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Firstly, it’s great to have you back John.

    As for this story, you’re the man on Fridays, tell you what. When all else seems to be failing us in terms of the news we use, you go and find the diamonds in that rough sea. Every single time. Never fails.

    These creatures are so beautiful and deserve to be protected so big kudos to all of those who are doing just that. Because you’re right, it’s about everyone.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Exactly!

    The JohnKu is exact.

    I’d like to add that embracing a more plant based diet and NOT eat meats from factory farms will go a long way to that avail.

    We can’t save animals without due respects. Not eating them is a respectful choice many can make.

    🐯🐆 🦁🐆

    Liked by 1 person

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