I'm covering a lot of ground on foot at the moment, we're right at the end of monsoon, it's a fraction cooler but it makes a lot of difference to energy levels. 20kms plus, very difficult a few weeks ago is now much more easily manageable.
The jungle tells many stories when you understand how to read it. The human footprint going in the opposite direction to a sub adult leopard had been rained on by the time I got to it but other sign tells me it was someone bare foot, in leopard area, maybe foraging, maybe doing something else.
Poaching of prey species and even continual disturbance of wildlife can have dangerous ramifications regarding predator behaviour. I'm not going into the details now but one area which is being subject to many leopard attacks is at a stage now where the villagers just don't want to be there any more. Fear and frustration leads to retaliation as I've mentioned many times before. So dealing with the communications on that aspect on one hand while on the other preparing leopards for reintroduction is a bit like walking along a slippery pole at the moment, two very different dynamics but with the common nucleus, ecosystems.
Leopards, they bring out all different energies when people are living with them...
