Freedom ... what it means to the tiger, the leopards of the snows, to us... (Part 1)

I've been off the grid for a few days and messages to catch up with now, I'm sorry it's taken a while to get back to people. I'll hopefully be able to blog soon but freedom, it means so many things. This image is of the unclimbed mountain but I have walked past slums, had visits to a South Asian jail, digested and acted on information on illegal trade, wondered about the images our cameras are collecting high in the mountains, thought deeply of the tiger, the leopards of the snows and the real meanings of freedom...

The Tiger, the Himalayan Mountain, the Taiji Dolphin, all connected ... why do you fuck it up?

I waited a while for the light to be right before taking this shot. I walk long distances to be able to photograph things of beauty, things that must be protected. These mountains and their inhabitants, great cats, great bears, great birds and great people. My heart was far away at that moment, it was with the Taiji dolphins. You dolphin killers at Taiji right now, you are pathetic. You are not men, you are pathetic. You are not brave, you are pathetic. I spit at your feet...

I am about to visit a young woman in prison. She has been wrongly accused of murder. She is so positive, so strong. One day justice will prevail, her and her friends will be free. You killers at Taiji have not one percent of the courage of this young woman. Why do you fuck it up? Because you are pathetic. I spit at your feet...

There are many, like the Taiji killers, who have no understanding. They cannot appreciate the beauty of the light on the mountain, they do not understand why we must protect the tiger, the dolphin, they do not understand the connection. Wake up, you are pathetic, I and many others are losing the last of our tolerance of your pathetic, weak, ignorant actions. There are no excuses any more. Right now I spit at your feet...

Balancing in the mountains...

The intricate balance of space between mountain ecosystems and human existence is like the prayer wheels on a Buddhist Mani wall. The wheels are turned at different speeds. Many factors dictate those speeds, rhythms, balances. Getting it right for a protected area is ongoing action balanced as I have said before with much much patience...

Right now, back at the foot of the mountains, I'm playing with the jigsaw puzzle of negotiations. Understanding which eye contacts are meaningful and purposeful is a vital piece of the puzzle. Anyone can write words, anyone can promise. Delivery and going forward come not from words but from footsteps. Perhaps it is best to judge a man by his boots...

Thank you for all the support, it comes in varying ways, it makes a difference. I'm sorry I'm not one to have time to comment, "like" and such forth. I'll have more opportunity to contribute on my own threads here soon, I thank those who make the effort. It's just that for the moment I need every moment to make my own footsteps in this quest for protection of a mountain area dear to many and vital to some of the most incredible wildlife and landscape on our planet...

Three snow leopard sightings in twenty-nine years confirms magnitude of task...

A very positive last few days. Testing cameras just above and below 4000m in winter conditions taught several lessons.  The middle finger on my right hand doesn't work that well right now.  The need for thin gloves (or removal of gloves altogether) to work the switches on the cameras saw to that.  But it's ok.  It just means the cameras need bigger switches for bigger gloves.  Lesson learnt.

The technology worked well, I'm really pleased.  Still more testing to be done and some technical issues to sort out but progress is good.  A fast trip down to 2500m yesterday and a set of cameras placed early this morning in a location which may yield the first images of forest leopard at this altitude means all tasks for now are complete.  In a couple of days I'll drop further, will have a good signal and blog properly.  I'll also be able to reply to messages, thank you so much for the support.  For those who have ordered $5 Tigers, the images will be with you soon.

Some time spent with Ram Gurung at altitude confirmed the needles are well hidden in the haystack. Twenty-nine years living and working at 4000m and Ram has had just three brief sightings of the elusive mountain ghost.  Snow leopards live here, we know that, there is plenty of evidence but no images. Many people say to me they hope I get a sighting but I explain that is not the goal.  The goal is information so developing cameras that work efficiently in this area is the key.

 This side of the mighty Annapurna mountains is an area of stunning beauty and amazing biodiversity but there are secrets, many secrets... the forest leopard, the snow leopard and maybe the mountain tiger are still to reveal theirs... 

Snow leopard and prey, much respect for animals who live at altitude in winter,,,

4000m in winter, well, it gets cold. Yesterday freezing but today a lot easier. Managed to get cameras out but is challenging conditions for equipment. Unless you have experienced it (and not many are this stupid!) it's really hard to explain. The sheer scale of this place and the fact that wildlife lives here in these condition, I just have huge respect for these hardy creatures. Tomorrow I go higher and it may be a couple of days before a signal. This thing takes time, I think some people are under the impression that I will be sending out pretty pictures straight away! It's not like that, these amazing animals have remained elusive for a reason..

Into the realm of the sneaky snow leopard...

First of all a really big thanks for the support which has come in many forms. I often say we're all in this together, I really mean it...
In a couple of days I'll be on the other side of the snowy peaks you can see in the image. It's snowing right now which is perfect. This means blue sheep and other snow leopard prey will drop down. So that means this Kiwi wont have to put his cameras up quite so high.

Maybe as high up as 4300m which in a Himalayan winter means frosty fingers. Later on before monsoon cameras will go up to over 5500m but that is just not feasible right now. The sneaky snow leopard shouldn't be that high in winter anyway. We'll see. Maybe.

Sneaky snow leopards live there. We know that. There has never been an image of one in this particular area. They are sneaky.

This is a testing phase for these cameras. A real time image transmission to my laptop is the aim. This will take some time to get right so it'll be a couple of weeks. There'll be passive cameras in use as well. Each camera requires a decent amount of work with establishing region, correct settings and installation which in this case means building a mini cave, snow leopard height.

Yep, frosty fingers.

Yesterday I touched on my happiness re the appointment of the forest guard. Najar Man Gurung and I have just finished discussing how it can all work. When Najar and I sowed the seeds of this project three years ago we knew we had massive mountains to climb. This is the Himalaya after all. So many issues in a country full of issues.

Now I feel we have established the route to the summit of these mountains. We have begun fixing ropes. The cold wintry air is filling our nostrils with the smell of progress. There's still a long way to climb and fingers will be frosty for some time to come. But it's happening.

There are many people to thank. Many of you I have had contact with in some form or other and there have been so many times my faith in human nature has soared thanks to the help and support that has been forthcoming. You are making a difference and when I finish writing this thing in full, when these mountains have been understood, I will share the efforts of many because you need to be known.

Thank you. We are all in this together...

This may be my last blog for a while depending on what happens up there. There is a chance there will be a signal available at 3700m. The Mountain Gods will decide. The sneaky snow leopard will as well...

Kia Kaha and Jai Bagh...

The mysterious Himalayan forest leopard and a great breakthrough a forest guard starts work...

 It's good to be back in the mountains and it's been really positive, not easy but positive. 

The image is of Mila Gurung untying a camera earlier today. That particular camera picked up still images and video of Himalayan black bear, monkey species, deer species, numerous birds as well as small mammals. I was really happy with the results. Cameras were placed on mountain trails which locals visit reasonably often as well as other trails which see less frequent human use and some wildlife use. Where Mila is hanging out here was in the third zone where there is very little human travel. It was steep, we were encouraged to make each footstep a secure one. I was really thrilled with the bear videos.

There was plenty of prey for big cats but the elusive Himalayan forest leopard stayed hidden. So little is known about this cat. The rock star tiger is much much easier to photograph. That other main icon, the snow leopard, is much harder to find but the the most difficult by far are these forest leopards. I have huge respect for these animals. They operate in harsh terrain. They just don't get the big popularity votes the tiger and snow leopard get but believe me, when you spend time in their habitat here in the Himalaya you can't help but be in awe.

Yesterday I trekked into Chhomrong (yes it does have two "h") mid afternoon. I had had a brilliantly positive meeting with Paras Singh of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project the night before and we mapped out plans until monsoon. It's going to be a busy time, a lot of walking over varied terrain and some cold cold nights. But all very worthwhile. Paras is a visionary with an absolute passion for mountain biodiversity, a great guy to be working alongside.

So I was full of hope as I arrived at the Cottage in Chhomrong. I was a little sore, I had a decent load on my back for camera work higher up in the coming days. I got the usual lovely meeting from Suhila and Manmiya but they both were adamant that I should unload quickly and drop down the (in)famous Chhomrong stairs to a local meeting which was being headed another of the team in Project Mountain Tiger, Najar Man Gurung. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect, good news or bad. I raced down the steps hoping I wouldn't have to climb back up later with a problem to solve.

It turned out to be quite the opposite. I said my namastes to the group and was greeted with big smiles. The biggest was from Najar. Shortly before I got there, after a lot of discussion (some quite heated) a forest guard had been appointed to monitor and try and help discourage human/wildlife conflict situations.

I couldn't believe it. This was a major attitudinal shift for the collective. I said my piece, how proud I was of this decision. As I sit here now with layers of wool, fleece and down I'm warm inside thinking about it 

I'll explain more tomorrow. I have one more day before I head from here at 2100m to over 4000m for a couple of weeks. As I wrote earlier, it's not easy but when there is progress like yesterdays, it makes all the effort worthwhile...

"Bro, chill out, we're in Nepal" and the trail to UNESCO for the snow leopard, forest leopard and tiger...

Patience really is a virtue.  I'm in a race with time, well, a race with nature actually.  I've been down at lake level in Pokhara for several days longer than I hoped I would be.  There are things beyond my control. I have to get back to altitude quickly before winter potentially closes off a trail because of avalanche risk.  To compound matters a couple of days ago my height was once again a weakness against low doorways.  Blood and big headache.  I feel even more stupid than normal and that's saying something.

On the same day as my head clash I watched a foreigner lose his temper over something quite trivial.  I wont go into the details but it was another case of someone not understanding the culture here and what people are really up against.  When the tourist came out with "it's not how it's done in my country," I was quick to come out with "bro, chill out, we're in Nepal."  It didn't go down too well as he huffed and puffed his way out.

You have to patient, it's just the way things are.  Patience teaches tolerance and tolerance teaches humility. The issues I've been dealing with these past few days will all be resolved in their own time.  I am a little disappointed some settings for a cellular camera trap still haven't been worked out but it will happen.

So I have to get to over 4000m soon to set cameras.  It's in an area never before monitored, targeting snow leopard but who knows what we'll find.  I have to stay near the region of the cameras for a couple of weeks to dig them out when there is the inevitable snowfall.  The Himalaya at that altitude in winter is an acquired taste, not for everyone.  I like it.  Actually no, I love it.  There are the challenges of staying warm and working in an extreme environment.  Winter camera trapping at altitude means being in the moment but a lot of planning and forethought.  Not a situation in which to be impatient.

It is about being very humble, it's impossible not to be.  The high mountains are unforgiving but at the same time give so much.  I'm very much looking forward to the relationship again.  Respect this environment and some secrets may be revealed.

This is a mission in conjunction with Paras Singh, the regional chief officer of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and Bikram Shrestra of the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC).  Both men act in alliance with the National Trust of Nature Conservation (NTNC) here in Nepal.  Paras and Bikram are both men of great humility, passionate about what they do.  They understand the meaning of patience.

While Paras and Bikram wont be joining me on this expedition we share data and knowledge.  Testing cameras in these conditions is a big part of my script this time but we are all excited about the prospect of getting images of snow leopard.  With the discovery of Pallas's Cat a few days ago in another part of the region it is an exciting time.  I really enjoy the company of researchers like Paras and Bikram and especially because they are so humble.  There is no "I feel awesome because I did this" type talk, just a quiet determination to do the right thing in the knowledge that the job never ends.

I wrote about this attitude in the WildTiger Journal published on New Year's Day.  That was mainly in reference to conservation and anti-poaching icon, Ramesh Thapa.  As the journal explains, Ramesh after a long service to the Bardia region has just taken a transfer to Chitwan National Park.  The balance of humility, understanding and determination is what makes Ramesh so respected.  He knows what he knows and does not step outside that. The tigers of Bardia owe him much but Ramesh would never ever admit that.

I have a reluctance to deal with people who promote their own achievements.  True conservationists don't really possess this trait.  In this age of global communication there is a lot of "eco-warrior" type talk.  The years have taught me that's what it mainly is, talk.

In trying to get things done I don't really look for organizations, I look for people within organizations. People of action.  People who walk the walk.  The people I have mentioned here are very much walking the walk. There are others, some of who you know through my writings, others to be revealed...

For a vision to become more than that, having the right people involved is paramount.  When the vision is working towards UNESCO World Heritage status for two extremely important biodiversity areas where community conservation is key, having the right people supporting the concept with action, passion and above all humility will ensure the right outcome.  The tiger, the forest leopard and the snow leopard depend on it.  We owe them that.

But there is still a lot to be done, we have to work hard ... and we have to be patient.