The little guy standing next to the yeti (yes, I get called all sorts of things) is Utu. He is the son of Paras who those who have been following this blog will know is the Chief Conservation Officer in this part of the Annapurna Conservation Area. Utu has been visiting from Kathmandu for the past few days, he's a great kid who when at home doesn't bother with cartoons, he watches Animal Planet, just like his dad :)
Paras is a highly committed conservationist and there's no doubt it is rubbing off on his son. Before we had met Utu had nicknamed me the Leopard Teacher and he was pleased when I told him that I thought that one day he would be one. I have every hope he will follow his father's footsteps into conservation.
In about an hour I head back into Asa's territory and will attempt, using the food drop strategy, to lead him into an area we have scouted but not spent a lot of time in. It will be at around 3000m in altitiude and it will be cold but Asa has shown he is adept in the snow, his speed not seeming to be affected at all. I am making sure as best I can that the young leopard is as far away from a group of woodcutters in the area for maybe another three weeks. This is something I will write about more in the future and will feature in my book strongly. The issues of conservation policy and long standing forest use by indigenous cultures are key in the future of protected areas. The relationship between humans and wildlife habitats in the context of sustainable use are of the utmost importance, already Paras is explaining this to Utu.
There is another visitor in the area. A large male leopard has made his presence felt and known. Perhaps he is looking for the young female leopard I had sign of a few weeks ago.
Perhaps he is here to claim territory.
Before Utu left for Kathmandu with his father yesterday morning I quietly told him that another leopard may not like Asa being in the area. I explained to him that this is the way nature works and that while I would do what I could to help Asa, a leopard teacher is not a leopard even though the teacher must often try to think like a leopard.
I could tell that Utu was trying to grasp this... as I am.
But it's every pint sized kid in every country that needs to know this stuff, in both developed and developing countries. And here in mountain areas that means schools... and that means Health Posts... it's all connected and it's the responsibility of all of us... that cartoon on my Facebook page a few posts back, it's there for a reason... Conservation is totally connected to these issues.
In a week's time it will be one year since Asa and I met, a day when I made the immediate commitment to help the leopard cub. I'm pleased now that Asa is free in the mountains. He lives wild. To be wild means a life that could be taken in an instant, a much more dangerous life than those animals that live in cages. It is however a real life and however long it is, in this case, a magnificent leopard has an impact on a lot of people. He has certainly changed me and made me realize more that even after years of trying to protect and understand big cats I still know very little.
That's it from me for a few days. A big thanks to those buying photographs, you are making a difference and I appreciate the support coming in any way.
Who knows, the next time you see me I may be wearing new boots.
Jai Bagh.
