The seeds for Project Mountain Tiger were sown on Christmas day 2010 during the last Year of the Tiger. So we're coming up to three years. All projects WildTiger is doing here are related but this one is my baby because it's my legs doing the walking. I'm really excited about what's coming up...
Yesterday Mila Gurung was a fantastic help in setting camera traps in challenging terrain. It was essentially steep bamboo jungle. In the image above Mila is standing in front of an area where he had a recent leopard encounter. The great cat snarled at him "don't come any closer" ... Mila didn't go any closer...
The image below shows the type of terrain we were in most of the time. There was also a lot of clinging to rocks where one slip would have resulted in one very broken kiwi. We found fresh leopard scat and several resting places of the Himalayan black bear. It was heady stuff.
As I mentioned yesterday I have been sending out tweets to try and encourage teachers and medical people to spend time here. Well the response has been terrific. I am sending out information packages soon and there will be more information online in early 2014. I just want to stress their is no fee for this. The costs are simply food, accommodation and the permit entry to the Annapurna protected area. There is a range of activities one can do including trekking to the incredible Annapurna Sanctuary and maybe even helping me with camera trapping! Similar opportunities will be available in Bardia in the Western Terai region as well. Watch our online notifications...
The image below is Nilu resting during her brave trek out from Chomrong to Ghandruk. Those who have followed my blogs will know of Nilu's great courage while we got her to the medical post. Typhoid in the Himalaya is a serious business, one of many ways people can become unstuck when so far from help.
This is one of the many reasons I am motivated to help these mountain communities who will never see a road to their villages. If we are to protect the tiger, leopard and snow leopard we must all play our part in helping the people who live in these remarkable but challenging areas...
Many thanks for all the supportive comments and actions. I walk a few hours to Ghandruk now for a meeting with the Annapurna Conservation Area Project main man in the area, Paras Singh. We're hatching plans so I'll have updates soon. Tomorrow it's down to Pokhara for a week or so to sort out several matters including modifying a real time image transmission camera trap.
I'll also be picking up more clothes before I head back up here and the long Himalayan winter ahead...
Cheers Jack
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