Disconnecting to reconnect...

I lost my smartphone a couple of weeks ago.  Somewhere between Pokhara and Kathmandu.  Several flights and a few cities gave me every chance to replace it.  I haven't yet.

Those close to me know I'm not always easy to contact anyway.  Remote locations often one reason but a willingness to push hard on the off button is often the case.  I started using Facebook about eighteen months ago but took it off my phone fairly quickly.

It's fun sending a tweet when I see a tiger.  It's not really necessary though.

When I'm interviewing someone, like Raj here in the Annapurna range of Nepal, I make every effort to remember key points and write them in my notebook after the talk has finished.  Most of the time these conversations revolve around human/wildlife conflict issues so I'm totally engrossed anyway.  I've had a lot of training, great mentors and years of experience in these situations so I don't really have excuses for not getting it right.  Sometimes if I feel a key point needs writing down immediately I'll do it but I'll do it quickly.  I don't use a voice recorder (unless the guy's a criminal but that's another story) as I want the conversation to be as natural and easy as possible.

Often whoever I'm talking to will have suffered a serious loss of some sort so there will be emotion.  It's important to retain the rapport in these situations.  The depth of the connection has a direct correlation to the value of the information I'll get.  Sometimes the connection can take a while but good prior research, a strong understanding of the environment we're in and above all empathy regarding the issues mean a strong interview, a positive result.

There's no point walking for hours up mountains or through jungles for anything less than a positive result.

Technology has given us great tools but it has also altered the way we connect.  Yeah, I will have to replace that smartphone at some stage but right now I'm valuing being without it.  I'm enjoying not having the distraction.  If I'm in the bush I want to be totally absorbed, aware of what's going on around me, in a natural way.  Yes, I'll have camera gear and yes most nights I will be back at my laptop.

To be really in the moment however, to really connect to nature, or to someone like Raj, a smartphone is simply not necessary.

I wouldn't swap those connections for the world.

Walking the walk, the passion for conservation...

True conservationists/environmentalists are a pretty focused passionate lot.  In fact they rarely talk about much else.  Certainly topics such as cars or phones don't come up except when talking about tools of the trade so stories about old jeeps can happen.  Subjects like sport may provide light relief but talk about relationships will only result in shuffling of feet.  Hey, I jest :)

True conservationists WALK THE WALK, both literally and metaphorically.  They rarely take holidays and 

the day never really ends because the mind is constantly working on the issues.  

One day the knees may say enough is enough and the journeys mean different strategies.  The conservation photographer will find different ways to get to his subject but he/she WILL get there.  The conservation researcher may have to park his/her bottom in front of a laptop as they receive information from the physical walkers but they will still put in, for hours on end.  For those working at ground level, paid or unpaid, the day can be wonderfully varied or extremely monotonous.  However, the dedicated will not stop regardless of the task.

Shortly I'm going to profiling three people within the WildTiger framework.  These are people with passion.

These are people I trust.

Trust is such a key element.  My radar has had years to develop and I can spot hidden agendas much more quickly now.  The term "friend" seems to be a pretty loose one now these days and money can often be behind the motivation for new "friendships".  I even get a lot of guys wanting to get into conservation because it's "cool" and will hopefully improve their love lives!  Reality check needed there, wannabees need not apply.

So I look for the truly dedicated.  I look for people without ego and who truly want to improve their backyard.  It can take time and I look for persistence and stamina in wanting to be involved.  These things don't happen overnight.  While I think most people consider me to be a friendly beast there's been occasions of late where after considered thinking I've had to do the right thing by WildTiger and let people go, change the status of working relationships.  This isn't easy but it has to be done.

I mention this because support for WildTiger is growing in many ways.  I want people to know that the people I involve are the right people and mistakes are corrected quickly. 

I've got a really busy time coming up but I'll enlarge on this soon.  I'm sure you'll enjoy the profiles as they get published. Once again a huge thank you for the support.

Reflections: A shitty day turned good...

I woke up grumpy. The article about the Tarkine (I posted it two back) had really affected me, the environmentalist movement here in Australia is not taken seriously by the majority. In the main everything is about money. Money, money, money.

 I headed into Ku ring gai National Park with my good friend and colleague Marty Coss for some filming from a canoe, eagles the focus but eyes open for everything. And there was a lot. It was a stunning day on the water. The reflections beautiful, the wildlife abundant. My mood improved rapidly. I finished the day with a 10km walk through the bush, the twilight was fantastic.

 I get to my laptop and there is a lovely email from Nepal, the Bardia anti poaching legend Ramesh Thapa had written thanking my organization WildTiger for its role in the big increase in tiger numbers over the last 3 years. Ramesh and I are hatching a new role for WildTiger's Hemant Acharya, we'll be announcing it soon. It really is a matter of just keeping at it isn't it...Kia Kaha, Stay Strong and I wish everyone a good weekend...

Please note: My post and link re the Tarkine was at my facebook page www.facebook.com/jackkinross

Web of life...

WEB OF LIFE: Sometimes when you are walking along they just appear, out of the mist...

I find prayer flags comforting, a nice connection between humans and mountains. I'm not Buddhist, I'm not anything really, I just believe in the web of life, simple as that. Religious doctrine doesn't float my boat the way science does but that wonderful feeling of connection to nature is what I strive for every day. Some days it just comes naturally, some days require more work, good stuff doesn't come easily. I am interested in theology in so much because of the way religion does dictate the lives of millions. If I was boss of the world there would be a manuscript, it would have a headline of "A healthy planet can only exist when there is flourishing wildlife." I really don't know much but I do know that and I'm hell bent on communicating it in whatever way, whatever language I need to use.

Aristotle said about language "...(it) isn't just for registering pleasure and pain. It's about declaring what is just and unjust, and distinguishing right from wrong" ... I don't know what he thought of prayer flags but I'm sure he was all for healthy human/wildlife connection.

Where eagles soar, snow leopards roam and the tiger is doing ok...

Minutes earlier this Golden Eagle had swooped above me, very close.  I hurried to get a closer view of the ridge, the great bird appeared again, fleetingly but beautifully.  I had just enough time to take a photograph. Read on for more on the relevance of this.

I've got a heavy heart writing this today because a mountain man, a real snow leopard has gone...yeah, please just read on...

In the meantime the world's worst kept secret is out.  Tiger numbers in Nepal are up.  As is the way these days the announcement was made at a time when maximum publicity could be generated, on International Tiger Day.  Nepal understands the maxim well, no tigers no tourists.  The timely announcement really only told what was has been known on the back streets for some time now.  At WildTigerNews we tweeted about it previously and I've certainly alluded to it in several blogs, but ha!, it drew little reaction.

Maybe some people don't want to hear it.  They don't want to hear that the tiger is actually doing ok in the the places where it has a future.  In  smaller fragmented habitats it will disappear, that's not rocket science. Overall however, after a difficult last two decades, the tiger has fought back well.  Yes, the latest figures from Nepal will give the doomsayers some fodder with the news that the Chitwan National Park numbers are in fact not showing improvement. Previous figures from that area were questionable anyway so it's a moot point.  No tiger census can be exact.

I've recently seen several tigers in Bardia.  It's like they were everywhere.  I even had the strangest solo encounter, yes I was a naughty boy and went walking off on my own.  I've written about this in previous blogs but you'll just have to buy the bloody book to get more.  People have been talking for months about a population of between 45 and 60 in Bardia.  The official figure of 50 just released seems fair.  It's a truthful figure.

Big brother India needs to announce truthful figures soon.  The money is there, the expertise is there and the tigers are there.  I hope you're going to be honest about it boys, some of us are watching very closely.

Big brother China needs truth telling as well.  Enough said for now.

I could have entitled this blog "Flight, Height and Lies".  So why lie about tiger figures? It can suit to announce low figures, "hey, we need money".  It can suit to announce high figures, "hey, we're doing a great job, give us some more money".  It can suit the tourism sector, "hey, come see our tigers".

Fortunately we live in an age where technology and science can fight propaganda.  Camera traps and cutting edge identification techniques are making it harder for the figure manipulators. This adds credibility to the Nepal announcement.  Whatever the real figure is, the tiger is doing ok.  Still a lot of work to be done but plenty of room for hope.

My eagle photograph came at the end of a long day.  It was near Jomson in Lower Mustang.  I had been trekking for nearly 11 hours having left High Camp at before 6am that morning.  It was a hard day, part of the speed trek I was doing, research on the run.  Human/wildlife conflict in the Annapurna area is a fascinating study.  I've heard so many stories.  There are those who swear they have seen striped tiger, panthera tigris, in mountain jungle areas there recently.  Those other tigers, also known as leopard and snow leopard, eat a lot of domestic livestock, events that change lives.  In three trips to the Annapurna in the last few months I've heard some sad tales.  Lose fifteen goats in an afternoon to leopards and your life changes forever.  A job in Dubai, away from family, friends, village community for years on end.

Revenge killing is actually rare but does happen.  The implementation of a decent insurance/compensation scheme is the only answer.  Hunting is unabated in a few areas of the Annapurna.  Kill too many deer and the leopard needs to eat something else.

The Annapurna is getting closer and closer to being entirely community run from a conservation perspective.  It is almost a unique model globally.  It's an incredible place.  I love it because if you know what you are doing you can sneak off the way nature intended, on foot, for days, into wildlife, into habitat, do some decent work.  Yes, there are jeeps now in some places, that's ok, it's opened up some world.  But you can still head off, without compulsory guides, into sublime areas.  It's real habitat, for people and wildlife.  The work has to be done to maintain it, to improve it.

More and more is being discovered about the snow leopard population in the area.  I'm heading back to the Annapurna next winter for some camera trapping.  Understand the wildlife, the habitat, establish again the connection.

My heart is  heavy because Marty Schmidt and his son Denali have both been killed on K2.  Marty was an old mate.  We did some good mountain stuff together.  We had grown into different paths over the years but the respect as mountain people endured.  "RIP old mate  You were so strong."  Another friend reminded me yesterday of the time Marty and I were coming down the Tasman glacier in New Zealand after a hard week in the mountains.  Marty, to my astonishment, was putting rocks into an already heavy pack.  The rocks were for his garden back in Christchurch.  When the earthquake hit that city a couple of years ago I rang him and asked if those rocks had moved.  He laughed and said plenty more rocks had been added to the pile since that day on the Tasman.

Marty believed in the truth.  He was eternally optimistic.  He knew the tiger was doing ok and would continue to do so if the right people had their way.  He questioned me about the cult like sycophants who seem to worship the tiger.  "Where's their balance?" he asked.  Mountaineers understand balance.

You soared like an eagle Marty.  Keep flying old mate.  There are those of us to tell the truth about tigers...

Footnote:  A big thanks to those who made pledges recently (while on my research on the run trek) to help with equipment for our projects.  I'm in the process of contacting everyone.

INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY: You can make it what you want...

INTERNATIONAL TIGER DAY: Just over a couple of weeks ago these two special characters cheered me up immensely when they just appeared out of nowhere and walked and talked with me for about an hour. It was at the end of long day at about3500m. We talked about leopards and snow leopards, bears and eagles. I told them about the tigers I had recently seen in western Nepal. They were confused as to them tiger meant snow leopard. And why shouldn't it? It's a few hours now before International Tiger Day when there'll be lots of groups and individuals taking the opportunity to once again talk about the plight of the tiger and being less than subtle in seeking funding and support. I'm getting up early to observe a sea eagle nest being built, that's my tiger and why not? There's a lot of propaganda surrounding the tiger now, it's become an industry, a place with a lot of egos attached. There's a tourism industry connected to the tiger, it's out of control in many places. My own truth and fact finding missions in the last few months have led to some disappointing conclusions regarding some of the people and organizations involved. However, the positive is that the tiger is actually doing ok, despite what people are saying. There is plenty of room for optimism and hope, despite the propaganda. I'm looking forward to enlarging on this soon but there are still quite a few stones to be looked under, a few questions to be asked. In the meantime be a bit careful, guarded about the hype, find your own tiger, it doesn't have to be a stripey one, they all count...

You have to trust that everything you are doing needs to be done ...

In Australia now, got a date with some eagles.  A big part of me is still in the Himalaya though, looking forward to being back there in the winter months.

This is just a quick interim blog to once again say thank you for all the support of late.  I'm still replying to messages, it'll take a couple more days.  I'll blog properly once that is done.

Human/wildlife conflict or more accurately human/wildlife relationships fascinate me.  I believe it's a big part of the core of existence.  I lament the lack of connection we have entered into but I rejoice in my own daily discoveries.  Maybe I'm lucky.  However it's a kind of luck I seek and I look very hard for it.  It's not really a search but a journey ... I seek not answers but I look hard for solutions...