15 cameras installed to monitor snow-leopard movements

By Hari Krishna Sharma, Muktinath (Mustang), Nov 28: A survey has been launched in Mustang on the number and condition of the snow leopard, known as the Queen of the Mountains.

The Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Area Office, Jomsom, has installed 15 cameras in the high mountainous area of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality in line with searching for the habitat of tigers, food, and numbers.

Rajesh Gupta, head of the office of ACAP Jomsom, said that although there is no exact data on snow leopards in Mustang so far, cameras have been installed focusing on areas where leopards have been spotted in the past and at places where they have caused damage to livestock.

Chief Gupta said, "It is easier to study snow leopards in winter, but it is also necessary to study the conditions in summer and the rainy season."

Earlier, ACAP had also installed cameras in the months of June and July to understand the condition of wildlife during summer and winter.

This time, in collaboration with an NGO called BIOCOS-Nepal (Biodiversity Conservation Society-Nepal), cameras installed by ACAP will be placed for two months to investigate the movement of snow leopards and other wildlife during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours.

ACAP stated that the camera will help observe the direction, location, habitat, and activity of the animals coming to the settlements and shelters in search of food. Food scarcity due to the heavy snowfall during winter forces wild habitats to come into human settlements during winter season.

Buddhi Prasad Gurung, BIOCOS- Nepal Program Assistant, and Deepak Oli, Nature Conservation Assistant, have been mobilized to install cameras and monitor the habitat of prey species.

The shy snow leopard's main habitat is considered to be at an altitude of 3,500 to 5,500 meters above sea level.