Research in Nepal

Research in Nepal. . , Since 1970, the Wildlife Conservation Society has supported research on snow leopards in the Himalayas. The nature of the terrain and of the species make snow leopard sightings rare. Only with the aid of radio tracking can these elusive predators be studied., Over a four-year period, Dr. Rodney Jackson radio-tracked five leopards in Nepal. His work has revealed much about their solitary nature, their elaborate system of scent-marking and ground-scraping as means of finding and avoiding each other, and their staggered use of shared territory., Excerpts from Rodney Jackson's Diary , . 1/2/82 We are snowbound at the entrance of the study area…Longu Gorge., . 6/30/82 No contact for four days now with 96A. We retire…by the entrance of the cave- our temporary home., . 3/24/82 …snowbound…for almost three months, . 4/3/82 The world's first radio-collared snow leopard is on the move. Strong beep…tells me he is heading east. I can hardly believe our good fortune- to have one of the earth's rarest living creatures on the very first try., . 7/3/82 11 PM. An hour ago, I picked up 96A on Tillisha Mountain. I'm setting in for a night of monitoring., . 7/11/82 Cat 96A beyond our range in Takla Khola…a deep avalanche gully blocked my way. I turned back, scanned the slopes a form on top of a promontory…unmistakable…a snow leopard!, . 7/12/82 I returned to Pukahang this morning and again crossed the cliff. It is becoming less awesome; today I looked down., . 7/13/82 Today cat 96A has remained…he spent all last night there, too…I suspect he has a kill., . 7/15/82 …a small cat…in broad daylight had followed our tacks up the gorge. I know it watched us, unseen, as we walked…, . 8/11/82 …I climbed the saddle of 16,500 feet, overlooking the Mugu and Chapa valleys…searching in vain for snow leopard sign…, . 12/15/82 …second snow leopard collared…Perseverance paid off.