International News

The Wild Sheep Foundation has named Aibat Muzbay of Kazakhstan as Central Asia Specialist for its International Programs. He will lead regional wild sheep and goat conservation efforts under Kurt Alt, WSF’s International Program Conservation Director. In this role, Muzbay will support argali restoration in Kazakhstan and strengthen regional conservation frameworks and sustainable-use programs across Central Asia.

Each year at the Sheep Show, hunters, outfitters, conservation leaders, and wildlife officials gather not only to celebrate wild sheep, but also to address the practical realities of how international conservation and lawful hunting intersect.

Each year at the Wild Sheep Foundation’s (WSF) Sheep Show, the spotlight shines on the wild sheep themselves, on the mountains they inhabit, and on the conservation successes that keep them there. But behind the scenes, two of the most important gatherings take place in a quieter setting: the Wildlife Professionals Meeting and the WAFWA Wild Sheep Initiative Meeting.
 

The Saiga in Kazakhstan has rebounded from dangerously low numbers and has been recognized as a success by the international body governing threatened and endangered wildlife. CITES has declared that Saiga are now eligible for sustainable use programs in the Republic of Kazakhstan.  This is a dramatic success and a powerful opportunity to continue Saiga conservation.

The Wild Sheep Foundation is partnering with Jamma International and Conservation Visions to host a Pavilion where we will present case studies and conduct panel discussions at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress, held this month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

A familiar figure emerges as the day begins on a jagged, rocky peak. Silhouetted by the sun, its muscular body supports a head held high with deep, curling horns that can only be a mountain sheep. But this one is far bigger than a record-class Dall's sheep or even the heaviest Rocky Mountain bighorn.