As I've mentioned before, things are very fluid here in Nepal. This short post is really an abbreviated version of something coming up. To get the essence of it I ask you to quickly check the two brief posts I made earlier today on Facebook.
The image was taken just under two years ago testing cameras while working on Project Mountain Tiger, part of a long term agreement I have with a community in the Annapurna Himalaya. I choose this image now because it was winter (above 4000m) and it was cold, damn cold. This is the very same cold that people are feeling right now.
Shortly after I used this image for a cover shot the first of two significant dates occurred when I met Asa, the young leopard cub, beginning a story many of you have followed, his rewilding to the point where he became independent and free. That was 4 February 2014.
The second significant date was the first of two major earthquakes here in Nepal. 25 April 2015 was a day which affected a nation in ways which will impact forever. Thousands of lives were lost but sadly, there are many people who have not received enough help... aid that in the world we live in today we are more than capable of giving.
But we've failed.
Particularly for those who were marginalized even before the earthquakes.
In many ways their plight has correlation with the leopard Asa. His species is marginalized as well. As I wrote above this post is just a lead in to that...
WildTiger is committed to helping the marginalized. The world puzzles me that in 2016 we are still failing as humanity and events of the last two years, even the last few days, have added to my frustration. All that can be done is to keep on trying to help. A long cold motorbike trip followed by a trek into a remote earthquake ravaged region awaits me in a couple of days. A young Nepali aid worker who cares deeply about what is happening, will be with me as we link up with an army major to do yet another needs assessment for people living cold in leopard territory. These people have been let down by government, the private sector, the world, all of us.
Blankets and warm gear are needed badly for many areas of Nepal. If you can help simply go to www.wildtiger.org and follow the subscription link, you'll see how it works easily enough. I'm expanding the format for 2016, forced to do so as we try to help marginalized wild cats and people, two entities linked by the way they share habitat, two entities let down badly by the world...
