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Pamir Mountains Peace Park
 As part of the Science and Exploration Program and to promote conservation in remote and little-known regions, George Schaller began work in the Pamir Mountains in 2002 by visiting Tajikistan to survey snow leopard, ibex, and the magnificent Marco Polo sheep.
During June and July of 2003, research by Tajik biologists revealed Marco Polo sheep densities of 0.0 to 1.4 animals per square kilometer. The total population of Marco polo sheep may be less than 10,000 animals and declining because of uncontrolled hunting by officials, the military, and, especially, the Kyrgyz livestock herders. Household interviews with herders revealed great poverty. The households had few livestock, most families received food aid from the Aga Khan Foundation, and meat consumption was mostly from Marco Polo sheep. The high trophy fees of around $25,000 paid by foreign hunters for a Marco Polo sheep were neither benefiting the local communities or the conservation of the species. Further research in the Pamirs was done between August and October of 2004. A total of 624 Marco Polo sheep were counted. A survey done in the 1970s revealed about twice as many animals.
The situation was better in the Chinese Pamirs where George Schaller and WCS field biologist Aili Kang counted 2175 Marco Polo sheep in October and November of 2005, a minimum count because of deep snow. The animals, better protected, had increased in number from a previous visit in 1985.
Marco Polo sheep cross international borders between Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and Tajikistan. WCS is now promoting a four-country, transboundary protected area, the Pamir International Peace Park, of about 50,000 square kilometers that includes some of the most spectacular mountain region on earth. It will incorporate existing reserves, such as the Khunjerab and Central Karakoram national parks in Pakistan and Taxkongau Nature Reserve in China, as well as other areas now used by pastoralists and trophy hunting concessions. The creation of such a peace park would offer the four countries one option of cooperating in the protection and management of wildlife and the rangelands upon which the livelihood of local people depend.
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