This post is also at www.facebook.com/jackkinross I'll write about this encounter and publish more at a later date, in the context of the project. I just wanted people to know that Asa was in superb condition when I saw him two days ago. It was an meeting I will not forget...
I was feeling quite fatigued as I trudged up onto the ridge and then down into the valley where I have set Asa's current territory grid. Real tiredness and recent events, I was struggling a bit, doing my best to keep out negative thoughts as the need to focus in the leopard's area was high. From day one this project has been a challenge and those who have read recent posts will know of my frustrations of late.
As if to remind me of the core, the essence of what this is all about, I heard Asa call me from high in a tree. A few moments later the young leopard appeared out of thick vegetation, running towards me in the small clearing. For a second I could not believe it was Asa, he looked so strong, powerful and confident, an incredible transformation from the tiny, uncertain, snarling cub from fourteen and half months ago.
For the next sixty minutes I observed and interacted with this free leopard as he put on a display of acrobatics and agility which took my breath away. He climbed trees at lightning speed, he darted through the jungle, leaping, sprinting, a superb animal doing what he was born to do. I felt years of work in big cat protection had come down to these fleeting moments as I watched a show of exuberance and assurance which seemed to justify everything I am trying to achieve. I left the scene with a gash on my hand, a result of Asa displaying his normal aggression as I removed the lid from the meat drum, sometimes I manage to do this at a food drop away from him but not this day. The wounds are small prices to pay however when something you strive for gives you such satisfaction.
Things are not ideal, there is still much to be done, the learning curve has been steep especially in terms of finding out who the real supporters are and who can be trusted to give vital accurate information. That stuff aside, all the effort has been worth it, to see a leopard be wild and free... and to further the knowledge needed for the rewilding of big cats, these magnificent creations of nature which fill me with such awe and total respect. Jai Bagh.
