Just a quick post as there's a lot going on. A meeting with some of the team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Pragati's ongoing meetings with government officials confirmed that increased protection status for the leopard here in Nepal is in the mix among proposed changes to the Wildlife Act. At the moment current penalties for the killing of leopards and the trading of body parts are only smacks with a wet blanket compared to sentences involving species such as tiger and rhino. With the value of leopard skins seemingly on the increase on the black market the threat to these big cats only gets greater and my own research continues with regard as to how much leopards are being targeted by organized crime groups as against opportunistic hunting.
Recent statements as reported by a national daily quoting a WWF spokesman about tiger poaching here conflict with DNA sample testing proving that yes, Nepal's tigers have been killed in disturbing numbers. It is still to be ascertained if the spokesman was misquoted in his claim that there has been no successful poaching of tigers in recent times. Everyone at ground level knows the truth and a piece by Pragati for the Kathmandu Post a couple months ago gave accuracy. Law enforcement members as well as the geneticists involved in the profiling are not happy about the recent claim, it demeans efforts to fight wildlife crime, it distorts truth. The other disturbing aspect of this is just how many individuals and groups in social media jump on these stories without doing any research. The copy and paste brigade simply make the situation worse, they spread mistruth. The topic that large elements of social media are destroying the truth is one of great concern for investigative journalists and professional researchers.
A good bit of truth I can report is from Asis who has told me of feeback from the team that the two leopards currently in the rewilding program are doing well. We're keeping a lid on information obviously because of security reasons and once again because things can get out of hand with ill informed comment in social media. As I've mentioned before there will be more detailed progress reports in the future, when appropriate.
Information is still being sought on the government decision to gift two pairs of rhino to China. As I've commented earlier the dust needs to settle on this one, the facts need to be ascertained and the situation handled with professionalism. Pointless petitions and outrage culture driven bullshit are not the way to go. This is a sensitive matter which needs clarity and intellectual discussion.
Looking truth in the eye is becoming more complicated because of the games people play with regard to politics, ego and personal agendas. Genuine research and action is about seeing through those veils...
