Jack's tip for the day. Don't piss off a leopard...
Caging him yesterday, aaahhh, no good comes from these things, it's not right and I resent being forced into that situation. Caging wild big cats raises tension, there is a dangerous element, it's unnatural. Asa is free again now, read on...
Asa was an angry cat when I released him from his overnight incarceration (see previous post). He took a swipe at me and then sat under a tree snarling for a full five minutes. I pretended to ignore him and eventually he came over, bumped my leg and gave me a quick grooming. The young leopard was semi forgiving but not happy. He motioned that he was ready for us to head off for a walk/hunt but I hung back a bit so he knew I was still the boss.
We spent a few hours in the jungle, Asa's every fibre twitching to hunt, to kill, to eat. Very frustrating for him that the area has a prey base badly diminished by human activity and a lot of buffalo which have changed the ecology. Every now and then Asa took it out on me, the hits were hard, maybe with an even extra edge because of what happened the day before.
When we got back to Leopard Camp Asa vanished. I thought this would happen. He's clever. The whole scene became eerie as a mist rolled in over the ridge, enclosing the small clearing. I knew he was there somewhere and I was very wary as I set a rope around the perimeter of the camp area.
Then I heard him. It was that low rumbling growl, the "keep away or else" signal. I've heard this in the past with other big cats, it's disconcerting when it meets your ears, you can hear it but not see the source.
Asa was making it clear he was not going to be caged again that night. The key would be if he decided to follow me while I ferried equipment from the camp to a mid point on the way to the village. If he did follow me I would have no choice but to return him to camp and cage him. It was really tense as I lugged a gas bottle weighing more than thirty kilograms through dense bush. If Asa had appeared and put in a hit somewhere there I would have no time to react.
The leopard didn't appear, I worked through the afternoon leaving him to his own devices at Leopard Camp. This will make it a very tricky 48 hours while I position food but at least he is free to roam as he has been all winter and before that.
I'm exhausted, the last two days have been difficult. However right now as I write this I feel respect and admiration for this leopard. Asa is as tough as all hell. The way his instincts were today, his anger and agitation actually show his wildness... and that's good.
What is also good is that Cecile from France is here to help. Cecile has done research work for me before and her no nonsense human rights journalism background are exactly what I need for logistical support. She is down in Pokhara getting things done with the ever supportive Bidhya. Meanwhile Hemant is working tirelessly in preparation for my upcoming visit to the west to choose the translocation site. The right information is so important, it's been an issue right through this project, I've been let down too many times now but I have trust in this small team put together for the next phase.
Onwards...
