First of all a heartfelt thank you to all those who have supported WildTiger in our efforts lately. Once again I apologize for not getting to everyone just yet but it will happen and many images will be on their way. As I've mentioned before, interaction with our supporters is important to us, we want you to know that help you give is used wisely at ground level.
In the first image you see Veterinary Doctor Amir Sadaula (right) and handler Ashis Gurung with young leopard cubs Tika and Ram. The cubs are now in isolation and essentially the process of getting them rewilded has begun. I'll have more details soon but the collaboration between the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation and WildTiger will continue. The team at the Biodiversity Conservation Centre (BCC) at Chitwan National Park are a really capable lot and I look forward to bringing more information about the personalities involved. My own role will be very different this time, giving assistance to Amir and his team based on the knowledge gained with Asa's rewilding but essentially working towards a more streamlined process for the rewilding program as well as the formation of Rescue and Rewilding Centres. Another important facet is the selection of areas for translocation and this is something I'll be putting a lot of effort into.
I was in Asa's territory yesterday with Bidhya assisting in what turned out to be another 16 hour day. Camera traps are telling that Asa is doing a sweep of his area which seems to take 3 to 4 days. This is natural behaviour and pleasing. The young leopard seems to be doing everything right and although there are still many months of monitoring ahead things are on track, effort is being rewarded with a lot of knowledge and best of all the fact that Asa is living wild and free. This gives every hope that Tika and Ram will one day be where they were born to be, living wild as leopards should be. My heart is very much in this program and it is really pleasing that a strong crew is developing, people with a real understanding of what rewilding is all about and how it is the way forward.
My elongated body is hurting a bit from seemingly constant travel by jeep, bus, motorbike and foot. However I'm driven by the fact that so many people and a lot of wildlife are displaced by a natural disaster that has rocked a nation. There is so much to be done and the extra edge that a threatening monsoon adds means there is a sense of urgency that overides aches and pains. The climate and landscape of Nepal mean things are never easy here so it is just a matter of trying to make gains every day. I hope the rest of the world can keep helping us do that.
