Tracking elusive snow leopards: Part 2
By Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, WWF-US Eastern Himalayas Conservation Scientist
By the end of our snow leopard tracking expedition in the Himalayas, we had set up a total of 11 camera traps. Four were specifically meant to capture photos of snow leopards, others to gather images of their prey, including blue sheep or “naurs,” as they are known locally.
Photo: Naur adult male. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)
To conclude my story of our expedition, I’ll recall an incident that took place upon my return to the nearest town. On Thursday, November 24th, I stood at the main gate of my hotel holding an impoverished walking stick and wearing heavily soiled clothes and boots. I was sun burnt and had grown a beard and moustache. Then I had to break the silence to explain to the hotel owner who I was: “that crazy biologist” who had been to the hotel a month ago.
It was great fun to trick the owner of my favourite family-run hotel in the town of Bumthang. And my dinner that evening of Bhutanese red rice, chicken curry, lentil soup, green vegetables, fried potatoes and local wine is one I will not soon forget.
Rinjan, back from the field.
I took off from Thimpu in December 2011 to join my family back in Toronto. After two months of painful waiting, results from the camera trap arrived at the WWF office here. I shed tears of joy as I viewed the pictures and movie clips of snow leopards engaging in activities, scent spraying scrape marking and prowling, that I had previously only read about.
Snow leopard scent marking. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)
More importantly, we can now call the Wangchuck Centennial the treasure trove of biodiversity, because our camera traps documented a unique assembly of wild animals that include: snow leopards; Tibetan wolves; red foxes; wild dogs; musk deer; blue sheep or naur; Himalayan serow; pika; and many species of pheasants and birds of prey. This field work has truly been one of the best experiences that I ever had.
Snow leopard captured by our first camera trap that was set up at the treeline elevation. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)
Figure: Himalayan serow sniffing snow leopard scent spray. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)
Figure: A pack of Tibetan wolf. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)
Figure: Red fox. (Photo credit: Royal Government of Bhutan and WWF)