What had happened to them? Could they have successfully
avoided the 35 cameras we had set up in their habitat? It’s not
impossible, but not very likely either.
Then, we got our answer – and it was one we had not thought
of in any of our scenarios.
It was just a single photo, but it told an incredible story.
In the centre, we saw Anu, her fur pattern clearly visible,
identified beyond any doubt... and she was being trailed by
three tiny cubs – a year after she had been photographed at the
watering hole with a litter of newborn kittens!
These new cubs couldn’t be older than a few months – but the
ones from the previous year would not even have dispersed yet.
It’s not impossible that Anu could have had two overlapping
litters, but that would have been a first for snow leopards, and
really goes against everything we know. Another possibility
is, unfortunately, much more likely: it appears as if the 2014
litter had died sometime in the second half of that year,
though we have no clue as to why.
With one photo, Anu managed to break our hearts – but,
at the same, time fill us with hope. Nature once again proved
to find a way! A litter of cubs dies, and the mother immediately
reproduces again. From a human perspective, it may seem tough,
but, for wildlife, it’s the circle of life.
For the snow leopard, it’s a fragile circle indeed. The species
needs better protection, and a large-scale effort to secure
sufficient habitats – nature reserves, but also vast areas
where it can coexist with humans. With home ranges 2.5 times
the size of Manhattan island, this cat simply needs more space
than most national parks can provide.
Along with local communities in several range countries,
we’ve shown that coexistence is possible – in Tost, but also
elsewhere in Mongolia, India, Pakistan, or Kyrgyzstan.
With other conservation organisations, we have also worked
with the governments of all 12 snow leopard countries,
who have committed to doing their part as well, pledging to
secure 23 habitats across the cat’s vast range by the year 2020.
Saving the Ghost of the Mountain will be a formidable challenge- but it’s one we can master!
Epilogue: Life Goes On
Our scientists try to look at data as unemotionally as possible,
but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wait for the newest photos from
Tost with bated breath! How would Anu’s tale continue?
Just a few days ago, I finally found out!
One of our colleagues played detective, and combed through
the 2016 photos as soon as they became available. What he found
made all of us smile: Anu, still going strong, followed by three
handsome, healthy-looking young cats! They’ve made it!Dr Charudutt Mishra is the Snow Leopard Trust’s Science & Conservation
Director, and a co-founder of India’s Nature Conservation Foundation. He has
studied snow leopards and their ecology for decades, and has led programs
for their protection in India and across the cat’s range. Charu has come face
to face with wild snow leopards on several occasions.Matthias Fiechter works as Communications Manager for the Snow Leopard
Trust, an international organisation dedicated to saving this endangered cat.
He has the exciting task of telling stories about snow leopards and the people
who work to protect them to wildlife lovers around the world. He has yet to
encounter a wild snow leopard, but at least he has seen the cat’s traces
in the mountains of Ladakh, India. SNOW LEOPARD TRUST, ORJAN JOHANSSON65 April 2017