My experience with Snow Leopard Conservancy Trust (SLC) in Ladakh had been extraordinary, to say the least. When I first came to Leh, I was a traveler, who was enthralled by the sights and landscapes of this magical place. But as time passed, I felt more and more at home and I became so attached to the place and my SLC family that by the end of my stint, I did not want to leave. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I arrived in Ladakh as a visitor but I left feeling like a native!
In the months I spent here, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the remote villages of Ladakh and interact with the locals, teachers and children as part of SLC’s conservation initiatives in the region. I visited the remote villages in Zanskar, Nubra Valley and Kargil and was able to observe the Ladakhi way of life up, close and personal. To watch the villagers fight their daily battles and struggles with an ever present smile on their face was a lesson in itself.
There were so many highlights of my trip but some of them stood out - mingling with the locals as they went about their rituals at the festival at Rangdum Monastery, dancing to Ladakhi tunes, staying with the locals and sampling the local cuisine, attending a Ladakhi wedding, going on picnics to far flung areas and camping under the stars, to name a few.
I was also able to observe the handicrafts and homestay program of SLC, which is an important source of livelihood for the villagers and it provides a strong incentive for them to not retaliate against the Snow Leopard for their livestock killings.
My most memorable moments were spent in the field while we carried out wildlife surveys in Sham Valley and around the lakes of Ladakh (Tsokar, Tsomoriri and the like). In Sham valley, we trekked the rugged mountains and ridges to track the movements of the elusive ghost of the mountains. It was a thrilling experience and was a tremendous insight into the world of wildlife tracking.
Our field surveys around the lakes of Ladakh was one of the best experiences of my life, as it provided me with wonderful sightings of the beautiful migratory birds, including the rare Black necked Crane. We were also lucky enough to actually fly a massive kite in windy conditions of the Himalayas. Last but not the least, it was stunning to observe the phenomenal and unparalleled biodiversity of Ladakh from close quarters.
As part of my work with SLC, below are some of my learnings and experiences:-
1) It's more than surveying mountain ridges and setting up camera traps. The SLC-IT also reaches out to women in the snow leopard territory and empowers them to benefit from the snow leopard's presence in their region instead of being spiteful of the cat carrying away their livestock. We trained them in needle felting, an art where one keeps on jabbing a lump of wool with a special needle until it takes shape into a solid, three dimensional snow leopard, urial, yak or any other animal found in Ladakh. The finished figurine is a wonderful piece of art work. Tourists buy these figurines, thereby providing the Ladakhi women with an opportunity to make additional income. Seen here in the photo are Ladakhi women in Karsha, Zanskar working with local wool.
2) A day at a Nunnery - It’s not just the monks at Phugtal, we also visited the nunnery in at Karsha in Zanskar to shed light on the importance of community-based conservation. The nuns had a lot to agree about after our discussion. We now look forward to our message being carried to the community through the wise words of these nuns.
3) Going through Snow Leopard Archives - ' This snow leopard had killed many yaks in the Spango valley. After some searching, I spotted the beast after it had killed a yak. Through the spotting scope, I noticed there was a cut on its upper lip. I couldn't be sure if it was a battle scar or an anomaly since birth.’ – Jigmet Dadul (Photographer) in 2011.
Jigmet was one of the best guys I have ever met. He was like a walking encyclopedia who taught me so much during my time in Ladakh. I would always say that if there is anything happening in Ladakh, he would get wind of it. He was polite, friendly and quite resourceful. There is never a guarantee you will have wildlife sightings on your trips but I felt if there was a way to spot something in the wild, Jigmet was our best bet always. He would scope things out and observe movements or faces which none of us could detect.
4) Meet the Monks of Phugtal - The people of Ladakh look up to these holy men and revere their words as statements of pure thought and logical reasoning. We were at the Phugtal monastery to explain the importance of community-based conservation to the monks who will in turn advise the villagers on the same topic. It’s a win-win situation for SLC and the people of Ladakh!
5) Insured! - Our community-based livestock insurance program has been running successfully for the last few years in Sham valley and we were expanding this program to other parts of Ladakh. With their livestock insured, the villagers have a lot less to worry about!
6) All the information you need! - The women of Tarutse (Likeer) stand before a resource map that we installed in their village recently. The board has trekking routes, locations of home stays and even lists the kind of wildlife found in the region!
7) Made in Ladakh, made with Love! - The 'Himalayan Eco Cafe' at Kesar. It is a chain of snacks and beverages outlets owned and run completely by the Ladakhi women in association with the SLC. If you happen to be passing by Kesar (135 kms from Leh, en-route Tsomoriri), drop by for hot tea and snacks, all made with love!
8) SLC visits Kargil - Here’s a snap shot from our visit to Kargil, where we conducted a Teacher Orientation Program on the use of ‘Ri Gyancha – a biodiversity resource kit for Ladakh’. The teachers were given brief introductions on biodiversity, ecosystems, wild birds, mammals and plants of Ladakh.
I consider myself to be very lucky to be working with such a dedicated team at SLC-IT and the love and warmth amongst the group members was unbelievable. They became my family during the time I spent with them and those moments will forever be etched in my memory.
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