Galkot (Baglung), May 8
The counting of snow leopards has begun in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. Three separate technical teams installed 56 cameras with sensors from 3,200 metres to 5,500 metres above sea level. This is the first of its action initiated for snow leopard counting in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, the only hunting reserve in the country. It is believed that snow leopards are found abundantly in the Himalayan region of this hunting reserve.
Officials said that technicians, teams of the hunting reserve and enumerators have returned to their stations after the installation of the cameras to confirm the number of snow leopards. Ranger Sagar Subedi of the hunting reserve shared that they placed 56 cameras in six different hunting blocks in 15 days, adding that sensor-led cameras will automatically take pictures for 45 days.
However, the technical teams shall visit the sites to change batteries and memory cards every 15 days. Subedi stated that the cameras have been installed in the possible habitat of snow leopards, dens and the Himalayan geography in Baglung, Myagdi and Rukum districts. Likewise, the droppings of snow leopards found in the forest areas will be collected, and lab tests will be carried out, while jaws will be assessed to confirm the number of snow leopards.
