Once again, I'm getting many messages, thank you for your support, I'm head down at the moment but I always do my best to reply. So yeah, this is basically a thank you message and a lightning update.
In a few days I'll be back in the field but for now it seems to be about a lot of "R"s - Rescue, Rehabilitation, Rewilding, Resolution, Research, Reports... it goes on.
But there is one R word in particular... Reality. The reality of the situation is that there are a lot of leopard issues that have to be dealt with, there is a growing urgency. Many of you would have seen footage of the Bengaluru incident (follow news, updates etc on these types of issues at the WildTigerNews Twitter feed) a few days, just the tip of the iceberg and very similar to the supermarket incident we had here in the Kaski recently. Human/Leopard conflict is on the rise and one of the man problems is the very misguided perceptions about these animals. I'll be writing about this soon and as I've said many times before, the leopard does not have the rock star image like other larger wild cats such as the tiger and the snow leopard. Perceptions have to change. We can no longer "love" or "hate" them to death, there has to be much more balanced thinking along with ever evolving mitigation action.
Compassion and understanding for those living in conflict areas is key. There are far too many pot shots taken by people a million miles away, from behind the safety of a keyboard. I've become weary of that. You'll read about that in my book but for now there is the reality to deal with.
The sites at wildtiger.org and wildleopard.net will be updated in the next few days to reflect the way forward. I thank those who support unconditionally, without judgement, you make a difference.
