Not enough hours in the day at the moment but the time that was yesterday was intense. Seemingly overnight, Asa made huge gains in power, strength and confidence. I was mentally sapped after several hours of rehab work with the little wild cat. And Asa really is a wild animal, don't let the "cuteness" fool you. My hand needs medical attention due to a jaw grip that is frightening. The sheer power of this animal is stunning and the transition in how Asa now has to be handled has to follow suit.
I've just finalized with the builders and metal workers Stage 1 of the enclosure. It has to be as strong as hell. It is the first part of an overall plan that will encompass holding, medical treatment, rehab and rewilding of one the most powerful predators on the planet, the Chituwa, the jungle leopard, the forest leopard, the common leopard, call it what you like but the challenge is on.
I emphasize again that Asa has really no chance of being rewilded. While this is sad, Asa will play a huge role for study, awareness and ultimately long overdue recognition (read UNESCO) for this incredible biodiversity hotspot, the Annapurna region.
So right now there is so much to do. I have been handed the responsibility to oversee this initial stage of the project and in conjunction with the local community, the Department of Forests, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, the National Trust for Nature Conservation as well as collaboration with WWF and my own organization WildTiger Conservation Research and Development, there are great personnel. But money is an issue. I'll be hammering hard re funding starting tomorrow.
A huge thanks to those who have contributed so far. There will be more links atwww.wildtiger.org soon. I simply don't have time to get to all the messages right now but I will when I can. Before a week ago there were already huge challenges, now a leopard called Asa has added an element that will ultimately help, but there is a hell of a lot to be done... cheers Jack.
No comments:
Post a Comment