Don't doubt it for a second, leopard behaviour is changing...

Those who follow these things will know that another leopard had to be extracted from an urban area in the Kathmandu Valley yesterday.  Pragati kept me posted, the cat is now in the zoo with a decision to be made where and when the leopard will be placed.  Here in the Kaski two cubs that have been left by their mother near a village are being monitored.  A female leopard leaving her cubs for a few days while she hunts is normal behaviour.

The link below is an example of  another dimension of leopard behaviour giving serious concern:

Fear of leopard haunts Sariska villagers

Every day I wake up to messages and news reports of these situations in South Asia.  Understanding leopard behaviour is my gig and this information has to be disseminated and added to my own work in highly affected areas regarding human-leopard conflict.  While there are many common factors over regions (yesterday I commented on a thread that the out of control population of dogs is a huge factor and critical to the issue) there is also the compounding issue that the adaptability of the leopard is meaning behaviour change forced on it through circumstance.  While there can be area population patterns showing this change there are also the individual circumstances of certain cats leading to conflict which will often lead to that leopard being catergorized as rogue or man-eater.

As I mentioned in my brief post on Facebook yesterday the leopard that killed two children recently in Baitaidi (adding to an alarming death toll) where I have just come from, could well be dead by now.  Villagers retaliate in fear and in the tough terrain of the Himalayan middle hills where so much of this conflict is occurring it's extremely difficult to get accurate information.  So action has to take place based on what information is available and as I've written many times before, poverty alleviation is vital.

Sometimes humanity needs to be bitten on the ass before there is understanding.  Well the leopard is doing that and if we don't adapt we will lose this cat.  My own vision of a rehabilitation centre which can provide solutions (treatment, translocation, rewilding with best practice) is still very much part of my focus but I wonder how much mayhem still has to take place before there is a real wake up on this issue.  Believe me, leopard conservation is a huge challenge and right this minute I'd rate the future for these incredible cats as in the balance, 50/50...'

"They buried the leopard near the temple" relives Binita...

For reasons of total respect I'm very selective what I write publicly regarding the specific cases which end in tragedy with regard to human-wildlife conflict.  The trauma involved, especially in incidents where leopards have taken children, is such that public scrutiny is inappropriate.  

In this case the words of  Binita are important to share.  Binita, from a village area here in the Himalayan foothills in far west Nepal, told of a leopard killed in fear.  Up to that point 13 people in her area had been killed in leopard attacks in less than a year and a half.  Since the killing of the leopard Binita spoke about, another 9 people have died, as well as eight more in other parts of the district.  Most of the victims have been children.  It was claimed at one stage that the man-eater was shot but just over four months ago two children were killed in the space of a week.

The leopard killed in Binita's story was buried near a temple as a way of asking the Gods for appeasement.  There are elders in the area who believe that the leopard attacks on people were because of a lessening of spirituality, people not being attentive enough to their Hindu faith.  In the image you can see the tigers as a figure of worship, the Goddess Durga is often depicted riding a tiger (In India, sometimes a lion).  But as I've pointed out several times before, fear can trigger violent reaction and leopards killed in retaliation is often the result, the most recent being just a few days ago.  And two days ago, a leopard killed a cow, people are angry and scared, they worry about their children...

In many places in Nepal the word "tiger" can mean any of the great cat species, including the leopard.   The relationship of people here in the high country to the land, to nature and to powerful predators is raw and real.  "Living with Leopards" in these landscapes is a life very different in truth and perception from the National Parks and wildlife tourism settings.

Right now I can see mountains that are in Nepal, Tibet (China) and India.  I look across the hills into the Indian State of Uttarakhand.  It is part of what is known as the Sacred Kailash Landscape which is an initiative where the three countries are joining hands to improve the lives of man and beast.  Protection of the land and poverty alleviation are fundamental to the future of this remarkable place.

Today marked an agreement with Government authorities for us to help improve the lives of people and leopards in this remote, unforgiving area.  I'll bring more details in the mid February update of the "Living with Leopards" concept but the past few days have shown me just how great this challenge will be, the far west of Nepal is a wild place, illegal wildlife trade is a major problem and the most highly affected areas where people have been killed by leopards is a place of extreme poverty.

But we will do our best and I am confident we will improve the situation.  Piecing the situation together today with District Forest Officer Prabhat Sapkota, an ally from the days of the rewilding of the leopard Asa, one could feel the quiet determination.  It's going to be days of discomfort in tough conditions and dealing with an animal which is by far the most resourceful of the big cats.  The leopard is an incredible predator...

I leave tomorrow to make the long journey to Asa territory to check things there (I'll take in a wedding in Pokhara, weddings are fine as long as I'm not the one getting married) as well as help keep things moving with "Tiger Honey" in Bardia.  "Leopard Honey" is part of the plan here in Baitaidi but more on that in the update.  I'll be back in this area in about three weeks with the necessary equipment.

In the image of protected wildlife in Nepal you'll see the leopard is missing.  There are many things which need to change. If we can protect people in a place like this we ultimately protect the leopard but advanced camera trapping strategies, DNA analysis as well as good old fashioned animal tracking are ahead of us to make sure understanding and dealing with these serious conflict leopards produces better outcomes.

This story has a long way to play out.  I'm determined that the carnage of people and leopards on both sides of the border is reduced markedly, that co-existence with more safety for all parties can mean a better life.  A species is at risk, that alone is enough motivation but the fact that it is the remarkable wild animal that is the leopard,  drives me hard as does my respect for the people living with this great cat...

Humans and wildlife share space in different ways from ever before.  Co-existence will always have challenges, I thank those who are helping as we face those challenges.  Cheers Jack.

Imagine dreaming up a super cat...

The far west of Nepal is often called the wild west.  For good reason. As far as leopards are concerned, man eaters here and in neighboring Uttarakhand make for tense times.  A burgeoning skin trade makes life difficult for the spotted cat...

I'll bring more on our efforts to improve human-leopard coexistence in the months leading up to monsoon.  For now I want you to dream of a super cat.  Imagine a wild big cat which can live anywhere, from steamy lowland jungles right up to high Himalayan locales.  A cat such as this can live in forests, adapt to snow filled winters, it can survive in deserts and will even live incredibly close to human settlements without being detected.

This super cat, if it existed, could climb trees as fast as monkeys, could run at speeds second only to a cheetah,  be a strong swimmer and be without peer as a hunter in the way it silently stalks its prey.  This cat, if left alone and was able to live in sustainable numbers would be without peer as a predator because of adaptability, speed, stealth and cunning.  This cat would have an intelligence and a knowledge of habitat we would never fully understand but if we saw this super cat for what it was, we would protect it with all our energy... and I have no doubt, if this cat existed, it would look magnificent...

This super cat does exist, it is called the leopard.

I feel sorry for anyone who does not truly understand how incredible these animals are.  But that's the problem, most don't.  The obsession with tiger, the emphasis on snow leopard, the age of the "hero wildlife photographer" and scientists/conservationists looking for accolades by any way they can (who actually invented the "like" on Facebook?) has meant the leopard, despite its superiority and importance in so many ways, is largely ignored.

This has been to the detriment of this big cat... and also to the people living with leopards. Those of you who have followed my blogs over the years will know why.  The coexistence is uneasy because the cat is not taken seriously, lives are lost on both sides and the low protection status for the leopard does not help.  There is a myth the leopard abounds in good numbers yet my sources tell me of places where there has been no sign for too long.  And I have been to such places, a part of the soul has vanished...  And where the leopard does exist along with poverty, conflict ensues, retaliation takes place, fear and misunderstanding dominate.

We can improve coexistence, we have to and I'm determined we do.  Despite the vast majority not understanding or caring about this situation there is a small group of people, a critical mass, trying really hard.  Soon we'll be announcing a major development as a well resourced stakeholder comes on board but all this takes so much time and effort so I'm very focused that the profile and understanding of the leopard improves as well.  Maybe then, there will be better support.

This will be to all our benefit.  The leopard is the ultimate ecosystem engineer.  We don't have to dream up a super cat... it already exists...

I'm spending a lot of time before monsoon in highly affected areas where too many lives have been lost, lives of leopards, livestock and people.  I thank those who do understand and support.  You make a difference and the effort to improve coexistence will not stop.

Just too many dying...

I'll blog tomorrow before I leave for a highly affected area both for serious conflict and illegal trade but 10 leopard skin seizures in Uttarakhand/West Nepal region in about a week indicates the tip of the iceberg re the carnage of the leopard. My frustration is high as apathy and pseudo conservation kills this vital species, the most wild, adaptable and far reaching of the big cats. There are several reasons this is happening but there is one commonality... us. All the PhDs, conferences, promises, festivals etc ... well, fuck it... for every seizure it's estimated another three to five deaths. Do the maths, if you care...

#TigerHoney - The power of the social structure...

While the right wing cuts down trees we plant them...

While the right wing digs for coal we develop low cost, environment friendly solar technology...

While the right wing breeds division and poverty we join together for what is right... like bees do...

TIGER HONEY PRODUCTION - 1) biological fences, a natural barrier for elephants thus #HumanWildlifeConflict mitigation.  2) Increased pollination - we need bees, we really, really need them. 3) Income generation in struggling regions, yes, I bang on about the link between human-wildlife coexistence issues and poverty, well this is a way to make positive progress.  4) Health benefits for all, real food, STOP EATING CRAP.

More soon on #TigerHoney but in our hypocritical world where we vote in presidents whose families kill leopards, the power of the social structure can win.  Keep environmental footprints low, join together for what is natural and right... like bees do...

#TigerHoney #HumanWildlifeCoexistence #OnePlanet

A belated Happy New Year to all and good luck for 2017.  My latest blog has been posted at Facebook.

#HumanWildlifeConflict - Tension WILL lead to retaliation...

I've just got back to my laptop after a tense night and morning.  Those of you who follow my Twitter feed will know what is going on.  The tusker, huge male bull elephant, continues to wreak havoc and spread fear.  Lives have been lost and many buildings damaged, last night three more.  Adding to the situation is the fact that last night we lost a male tiger, hit by a speeding bus overtaking on the wrong side.

There's a lot of anger in the community, anger created by sleep deprived fear.  Conservation is becoming a dirty word to these people who to many are basically bottom feeders.  As someone who spends a lot of time, often living with these "bottom feeders", I completely understand their concerns.  The warden is doing his best as is the army but it has, as always, come down to resources.  At community level the rapid response team has been mobilized and I'll be spending the next few hours frantically trying to get support to resource the team.  A vehicle is a priority but for now the Park authorities will allocate to help with the bee audio system.

Tonight is critical.  Nerves are frayed.  The bee audio system I developed will work under the right conditions which include effective crowd management and cooperation.  But fear can interrupt the process very quickly, as happened last night.

Often I think about the amount of resource, time spent and emphasis on research for new species and similar.  I see people all the time posting images of "cute animals"... I see far too much of this thing called "awareness" not followed by action.  Right now, on the ground, the "bottom feeders" are feeling it.  Retaliation becomes inevitable when it gets to a certain stage.  And wildlife decline is the result, and that leads to? Well we all know and to be honest, I'll be the first to say, from the ground, well I f...... well told you so.  There are people completely divorced from the reality of the situation.

It's a time for less politics, more reality checks and resources to be allocated where they are really needed.

Merry bloody Christmas... from the ground.