© Pritam Baruah

Trip Report: Snow Leopards & Birds of Hemis National Park Central Ladakh, India

6th Mar to 14th Mar 2014 – By Pritam Baruah

The Grey Ghost, Tarbung Valley, Hemis NP (11-Mar 2014)

Finding a snow leopard in the wild – the mythical ‘Grey Ghost’, is often considered to be an absurd dream by most wildlife enthusiasts. But that does not stop them from dreaming and every once in a while, dreams do come true. Until very recently, the chance to encounter one in the wild even after extreme endeavor was decidedly uncertain. That was mainly due to the high degree of difficulty spotting them in their characteristic rocky terrain and their very low density of occurrence across their entire range. But that changed when relatively frequent sightings began to be reported in winter by villagers and scientists from the northern parts of Hemis National Park in the Ladakh region of India. A survey covering 200 sq km of prime habitat revealed a very high concentration of 9 Snow Leopards and perhaps more significantly, the surveyed area is contiguous with a vast expanse of excellent habitat having very low anthropogenic pressure and relatively high prey density – surely home to a reasonable number of Snow Leopards. This was not ignored by wildlife enthusiasts and soon, the hardy and hospitable Ladakhi locals developed a highly successful system of finding Snow Leopards. Basically, you have to hike into the Rumbak Valley to an initial camp site, inevitably at the junction of Husing and Rumbak valleys. You might have to move to other camp sites like Rumbak Village and Yurutse depending on known sightings or pre-planned itinerary. Daily activity involves hiking to various ridge tops to scan the hill sides. Food is usually carried from camp by a staff member and served hot at the vantage point itself. Sounds easy? Not really! The incredibly thin air at 4000 masl makes uphill hikes quite difficult and the steep terrain makes downhill hikes tricky. Snow, ice, loose rock add to the treachery. Adding

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to this is the bitter cold, usually worsened by wind (on Mar-6 night it was -20C at the camp site plus bone-chilling winds). But perhaps the most interesting nature of this quest is that you are scanning into rocks for unusually long periods of time with nothing to show for it. The low diversity of species and secretiveness of whatever are present, ensure that the landscape appears desolate and devoid of life – even the grass blends seamlessly with the soil making it invisible to naked eyes from a distance. Furthermore, the difficulty of spotting a Snow Leopard among the rocks cannot be underestimated – only extreme patience and due diligence by the team of local spotters and visitors alike, make it remotely possible to find one. Luck plays a huge part too - for the entire first week of March there was only one sighting (on Mar-4). But then in the 2nd week there was one sighting each on 6 out of 7 days even though the number of spotters had reduced. Even so, the odds are totally worth it and the inconveniences are rather minor compared to the potential payoff. And the awesome scenery itself makes the trip worthwhile. Overall, in my opinion this ranks as one of the top wildlife experiences in the world and a must do for all wildlife enthusiasts.

When to go: Snow Leopards come down to lower elevations when it gets very cold higher up in the mountains. From mid September to end of March there is a fair chance of finding them around Rumbak Valley in areas between 3600 masl & 5000 masl which can be easily scanned using good optics. March is mating time. February until mid-March is generally considered to offer the best possibility for success. In September, most migratory bird species are still present and weather is much better but chances are lower than February-March. December & January are very cold and best avoided.

Logistics: An independent trip is strongly discouraged not only because of the remoteness of the area but also because of strict rules and regulations that are impossible to follow without guidance. Expeditions should be arranged by a reputed local tour company or a reputed international tour company (which invariably uses a local company). My guide and expedition manager was Tsering Namgyal – I cannot speak highly enough of him and his two man crew – Gyalpo (cook extraordinaire) & Jigmet (assistant extraordinaire). Namgyal is one of the best and most experienced tour guides in Ladakh. His overall enthusiasm, field craft and tour leadership is top notch. He is always willing to take an extra step (or many) to satisfy his customers. Gyalpo is an excellent cook and displayed amazing versatility under limited resources – chowmein, fried rice, parathas, dal, curries and some of the best momos I’ve ever had, suffice to say that the food on this tour wildly exceeded my expectations. Jigmet – overall tour hand was tireless in his efforts to keep things running smoothly. Good conversation apart, he would haul hot food & tea to just about any place. Much appreciated! My tour company was Overland Escape and I was happy that they did a tour with one participant. Their camping arrangement and email communications were very satisfactory. There was a single tent for me and a large tent for kitchen & dining. The 3-man staff slept inside it too. My tent had good insulation from cold and wind. Toilet facilities are very basic and tour groups are required to use a rudimentary common outhouse (erected recently at the camp site) or a group specific toilet tent. Defecating outside the toilet facilities is not allowed for environmental reasons. There are no bath facilities although hot water is usually available for a wash. Spotting scopes are provided by the tour company but I took my own. The guides of all groups are friends and as such, collaborate on finding the Grey Ghost. They carry walky-talkies to share sightings and plan next steps. It is believed that sightings have improved chiefly because of this collaboration and the increasing number of spotters.

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What to take:

Camping is fully outfitted by the expedition company.

Ask outfitter about hot water bags for the night and insulating mattress for the sleeping bag.

Take warm sleeping bags (rated -30C & below) or rent one from the outfitter if not included.

At least one flashlight/torch with high & low power settings. Note that there could be spot lighting incidents too - Stone Marten, Himalayan Weasel, Red Fox, Snow Leopard have all been spot lighted before at night.

Solar powered lamp to use inside the tent.

Plenty of batteries. From next winter, generators might be banned and most outfitters do not carry generators anyway.

Layered clothing – parka or wind proof shell and inner fleece layer (preferably neck length).

Thermal underwear – silk or polypropylene is lightweight and works perfectly.

Warm hat, gloves, ear muffs, socks (wear two at a time for insulation).

Hiking boots / Snow boots.

Hiking sticks.

Good binoculars, spotting scope and sturdy tripod are a must.

Medication (high altitude medicine, fever, cold, pain, diarrhea, oral rehydration etc).

Portable humidifier.

Strong sunscreen – very easy to get badly sun burnt at these elevations.

Moisturizer and lip balm – very important because this is an extremely dry cold desert.

Hand sanitizer.

The scenery at Uley is fabulous. Holy structure in the foreground.

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Map of Central Ladakh

2 cm: 5 km

KEY PLACE ALTITUDE LAT/LNG

1 Rumbak Village, Hemis NP 4000 masl 34.0538, 77.4328

2 Potential areas for Urial n/a n/a

3 Uley 4100 masl 34.3320, 77.1287

4 Zanskar – Indus Sangam, Hemis NP 3140 masl 34.1657, 77.3321

5 Khardung La Pass 5400 masl 34.2794, 77.6045

6 Yurutse Village, Hemis NP 4200 masl 34.0431, 77.4029

7 Stok Kangri peak, Hemis NP 6153 masl 33.9860, 77.4425

8 Husing-Rumbak Valley Camp, Hemis NP 3800 masl 34.0777, 77.4203

DATE SIGHTING DISTANCE TIME DURATION

4-Mar Single male above camp site. Last sighting before I arrived on 6th. 1 km 4 pm 1 hour

7-Mar Mother & full grown cub 1.8 km south of Rumbak Junction. Not seen by me as I was 2.30 hours away in Husing Valley.

1.5 km 4 pm 2 hours

8-Mar Single above Tsarlung Valley. Not seen by me as I was near camp 1 km 3 pm 5 mins

9-Mar Mother & 1 full grown cub seen from camp on a ridge above TarbungValley. Failed hunt of Woolly Hare.

1.2 km 7 am All day

11-Mar Mother & 2 full grown cubs in Tarbung Valley. 400 m 1 pm 5 hours

13-Mar Mom & 2 full grown cubs in Rumbak Gorge. Separation of cubs from mom. Mother & dominant male as a new couple, mating.

300 m 7 am All day

Red: Relevant sightings not seen by me; Green: Seen by me. Dates marked at corresponding locations on map below.

© Pritam Baruah

Map of Rumbak Valley & surroundings in Hemis National Park

Numbers above represent date & location of relevant sightings; Red: Sightings not seen by me; Green: Seen by me.

2 cm: 1km

© Pritam Baruah

Itinerary

DATE DESTINATION DURATION ACTIVITY SIGHTING

6-Mar Visit Snow Leopard Conservancy office 1.30 hours Education

Leh to Zinchan 1.30 hours Drive

Zinchan to Husing-Rumbak Valley Camp 1.30 hours Hike

Husing Valley 3.00 hours Hike, Scan

7-Mar Husing Valley 10.00 hours Hike, Scan White-rumped Snowfinch

8-Mar Around camp 1.30 hours Scan

Camp to Rumbak Village 2.00 hours Hike, Scan

Around Rumbak Junction 4.00 hours Scan

Rumbak Junction to camp 2.00 hours Hike, Scan

Around camp 30 mins Scan Red Fox

9-Mar Around camp All day Scan Mother & 1 full grown cub seen from camp on a ridge above Tarbung Valley

10-Mar Around camp 3 hours Scan

Camp to Rumbak Village 2 hours Hike, Scan

Stranded in Rumbak Village due to snow 2 hours Inside hut

Rumbak Village to camp 1 hour Hike

Inside tent due to heavy snow Rest

11-Mar Camp to a lookout in Tarbung Valley 3 hours Hike, Scan Red Fox

Tarbung Valley 7 hours Scan Mother & 2 full grown cubs

Tarbung Valley to camp 1 hour Hike

12-Mar Around camp 6 hours Scan, Rest Woolly Hare

Husing Valley 3 hours Hike, Scan

13-Mar Around camp 1 hour Scan Mother & 2 full grown cubs seen from camp on a ridge above Husing Valley

Rumbak gorge 8 hours Scan Aforementioned mother & dominant male together

Camp to Zinchan to Leh 3 hours Hike, Drive

14-Mar Leh to Uley 2.45 hours Drive

Around Uley 3.30 hours LA Herd of 6 male Asiatic Ibex

Uley to Leh 4.30 hours Drive, Scan Herd of 50 Urial

Daily Log

6-MAR: The first day started in Leh with a visit to the Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC). After a quick Q&A session on Snow Leopard conservation and buying some handicrafts made in remote villages, we drove 1.30 hours to Zinchan inside Hemis National Park, stopping along the way at a Buddhist prayer site to bring us good luck. And considering that the prayers concluded with guzzling the local beer brewed from barley (the so called ‘Nectar of the Gods’ or Chhaang), we were already starting to feel high. On reaching Zinchan we transferred our luggage to ponies and began a 1.30 hour hike on the frozen Rumbak River (also known as Zinchan River) to our camp site at the intersection of Husing and Rumbak valleys. We passed through some beautiful scenery and prime

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Snow Leopard habitat to finally arrive at a camp brimming with over 40 Snow Leopard hopefuls from around the world. After a nice lunch and a stroll around camp we headed up to a nearby ridge line to scan for leopards. Expectedly, the first session was unsuccessful but what worried me was the news that in the previous 6 days there was only one sighting. I went to bed hoping that the law of averages would work in my favor in the upcoming days. 7-MAR: Woke up at 6 am after a very unsatisfactory sleep in the dry oxygen starved environment. The night was bitterly cold with temperatures dipping to -20C accompanied by howling winds. Having to wake up multiple times during the night to relieve the bladders wasn’t very comfortable either. This would be the coldest morning of the trip – water splashes were turning to ice, our noses and ears became insensitive to touch. But the air was thick with anticipation so we ignored the discomfort and made our way to a ridge top in the Husing Valley and started scanning. We soon found two herds of Blue Sheep (Bharal) and a pair of Himalayan Snowcocks – their graceful plumage in contrast of their comical antics; But no sign of Snow Leopards in the area. After breakfast we headed up to another ridge in the Husing Valley. But aside from a close herd of 11 Blue Sheep that gave us company for the rest of the day there were no other mammals in sight. A flock of White-rumped Snowfinch, a difficult species, was very welcome though. If anything, this fruitless day mentally prepared us to expect long days of patience and diligent scanning.

Scanning from a ridge in Husing Valley

8-MAR: While Namgyal went to a vantage point to scan, I walked further up the Rumbak Valley to look for birds, managing to get quick glimpses of the much desired White-browed Tit-Warbler and a flock of Mongolian Finch. Towards the southern end of the camp site, there was also lot of yak hair strewn about. On asking the staff at the nearest camp, I found out that last night, the resident yak (a majestic male with an absolute Zen like demeanor who slowly goes around camp munching on hand outs) was unsuccessfully attacked by a pair of Snow Leopards right within camp. That excited me to a point where I contemplated if I should sit outside my tent the next night to look for the leopards in case they decide to revisit. Finally, good judgment prevailed as I calculated that it would be

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prohibitively cold and I certainly didn’t want to be the first ever recorded human meal of a Snow Leopard. I found the yak peacefully grazing inside a relatively secure plantation, evidence of the attack quite visible in the form of two hairless circles on either side of its thick neck. Clearly, the leopard (believed to be a mother who came with her cub) had pounced directly from behind but her paws failed to pierce through the skin, getting jammed in the thick layer of hair instead. What must have happened next was that the yak shook the leopard off its back, yanking out a bunch of fur in the process and the leopards leaving thinking this animal is more trouble than worth. Back at the vantage point Namgyal informed me that the previous evening, two Snow Leopards (mother and cub) were seen about 2 km south of Rumbak Junction. News didn’t reach our camp site on time as Rumbak village was out of walkie-talkie range and it was too late for someone to run over from the village to inform us. Whether these were the same leopards that attacked the yak after making their way north through the Rumbak Gorge at night was unknown so we decided to hike to Rumbak after breakfast to see if the leopards were still in the area. We walked through the very scenic Rumbak Gorge, passing a gorgeous frozen waterfall that was also a prayer site and finding numerous Yellow-billed Choughs flying overhead. But on reaching the junction the people who stayed the previous night in Rumbak village told us that the leopards were gone. We patiently searched for several hours but it was unsuccessful. Birding was slow and the only new bird was Horned Lark in the barren barley fields of Rumbak. So the only comfort was the gorgeous scenery, with Stok Kangri summit and Stok La Pass clearly visible on this beautiful sunny day. I also used this opportunity to make phone calls to family using the satellite phone in Rumbak Village. We then slowly made our way back to camp and spent some time scanning from a plantation area with good views of the surrounding slopes, managing to find a sleeping Red Fox comfortably curled up on a scree slope.

The resident yak hanging out near the kitchen tent.

Rumbak Village Frozen Rumbak River in the Rumbak Gorge

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View from Rumbak Junction looking towards Rumbak Village & Stok La Pass

9-MAR: I had no sleep at all the previous night so I was relaxing near the kitchen tent over some tea when we heard a distant scream and some heavy footsteps quickly approaching. An involuntary spike of excitement shot through my body as I suddenly realized what might be happening – that someone might have spotted a Snow Leopard somewhere. I vaguely heard someone barking out ‘Tarbung’ and I immediately picked up my binoculars and began scanning the ridge line of the Tarbung Valley, which loomed large over the camp site. Then suddenly, there is was – a majestic feline was gracefully walking along the ridge line. It was clearly visible in the skyline 1.2 km away. I was overcome by indescribable joy – the Grey Ghost was no more a myth. Behind me I saw Namgyal frantically running towards the tent. Moments before, he was scanning using my spotting scope from a low ridge near camp and he was the one who spotted the leopard from there. He laid down the scope for me and he had more news, there were two leopards not one. I scanned the area and soon found the other one too – this one was following the one spotted first walking along the skyline and they were soon identified to be a mother and 3rd year cub known to frequent the area. The atmosphere in camp was of absolute elation and everyone was amazed at the impeccable camouflage that enabled the cats to play hide and seek even though we knew exactly where they were. We watched them make their way up the ridge, the mother frequently scent marking and scrape marking at many spots and the full grown cub following closely behind, investigating every mark left by its mother. After sometime they lay down to rest and remained partially visible for several more hours. That gave us the privilege of having an outdoor lunch right at camp and enjoying the Snow Leopards at the same time, which felt strangely inappropriate. Later, some other groups debated whether they should go further north and up the Tarbung Valley to see if they can get closer looks but I decided against it. That turned out to be a very good decision considering what unfolded next. At about 4 pm the leopards woke up from their slumber and proceeded up the ridge again. All seemed calm when the mother suddenly lowered her body into a crouching stance and

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moved as if stalking something. The cub, which was following behind stopped dead in its tracks. Excitement among the motley crowd of onlookers shot through the roof as we anticipated a hunt, except that we could see no prey. I had earlier seen a Snowcock in that area so I surmised that the prey could be a Snowcock hiding in the rocks. We waited with bated breath but no sooner did it start stalking, the leopard broke it hunting stance and took to a seemingly relaxed stroll again. That immediately released the excitement which was building up. But we were totally unprepared for what happened next – the leopard was coolly walking up the ridge and it was about 20 meters from the spot where it had stopped stalking when in the blink of an eye it turned 90 degrees, crouched again and then leapt ahead in chase of something invisible. Some furious lunges later it lashed out with one paw, kicking up a cloud of dust and then we saw a figure dramatically leaping out of the dust desperately hoping for escape from the paws of death. It was literally flying prone through the air. The leopard sharply banked to the right in pursuit but then suddenly stopped. By then the fleeing figure had revealed itself to be a Woolly Hare and its awesome escape down the steep scree slope as the mother and cub looked on from above was a sight to behold in itself. The whole incident lasted just a few seconds but in our minds, its sheer beauty made it roll in slow motion as it happened. The guile that the mother demonstrated while executing the hunt – putting off the imminent attack presumably because it was spotted and then springing a surprise attack from a different direction – was simply mind blowing. After that, the leopards slowly made their way further into Tarbung Valley, intermittently stopping to survey for prey until they were out of view. We later found out that the groups who made their way into Tarbung Valley hoping for a closer look missed the action altogether because the ridge top was not visible from the valley bottom. That included a BBC crew who was filming for a new nature program to be released in 2016/2017. 10-MAR: We woke up to a light snow fall due to which we decided to try the nearby Rumbak Gorge after breakfast. The rational being that Blue Sheep tend to come down to the gorge to avoid fresh snow deposits higher up in the ridges and that can potentially attract leopards to the gorge as well. Unfortunately that didn’t pay off. The only excitement came from a practical joke played by someone who decided to draw some pugmarks in the fresh snow dust deposited over the frozen river. We spent 20 mins trying to track the non-existent leopard before concluding that the ponies on the way to Rumbak village must have trampled on the additional pugmarks. That meant the leopards were on their way to Rumbak Junction as well so off we followed, only to find the perpetrator laughing at us when we got to the Junction. As if that was not enough, it then started snowing heavily. We took shelter in Rumbak Village (20 mins east of the junction) and had lunch at a beautiful homestay. But since the snow was not letting up, we decided to head back to camp anyway. We walked the next two hours under a snowfall that was getting stronger and stronger. Even though that meant our day was as good as over, we were also excited about the prospects for the next day because fresh snow fall can make leopard tracks very conspicuous from even far away. The snow fall also warmed up the weather which was much appreciated.

There are two leopards in this frame.

© Pritam Baruah

11-MAR: The first thing I noticed after coming out of my tent in the morning was two sets of pugmarks very low on a slope merely 50 meters away on the west side of the Rumbak river. And then another pair of tracks about 25 meters away on the trail right outside my tent. Meanwhile there was plenty of excitement around and the local guides were busy following the tracks. Eventually we concluded that there were three leopards at the camp site the previous night. There was a single at the south end of the camp which moved into the Husing Valley. Also, a pair moved south on a slope very close to camp (producing the first set 50 meters from my tent), then dropped to the valley floor, crossed the narrow frozen river and moved back north (essentially a U-turn) right through the heart of the camp (producing the second set 25 meters away from my tent). At about the point where my tent was located (close to the toilet structure), they moved into the poplar plantation and up a slope on the east side of the valley. They descended again after about 100 m on the slope and moved further north along the frozen river where it appeared that another leopard joined them. The trio then entered the Tarbung Valley, where they ascended until the tracks disappeared at a large escarpment with no latent snow. We walked to a point in the Tarbung valley where it takes a sharp left turn, spotting two BBC camera traps on our way. Apparently the first one had captured the leopards but the second one didn’t. So we had an idea on where to scan. Unfortunately even though there were 5 scopes scanning the area we could not find them. Flocks of Tibetan Snowfinch and Brandt’s Mountain Finch made sporadic appearances and there a pair of Himalayan Snowcocks was flying from one ridge to another. After lunch, while we continued scanning from the valley bottom, Namgyal and the BBC guide decided to climb up a hill to get a fresh perspective. That paid off big time as they finally spotted a pair sleeping on a ledge in full view but perfectly camouflaged. Exhilarated, we raced up the hill emptying our lungs in the process, to find a beautiful pair sleeping peacefully on a ledge 400 meters away. The BBC film crew joined us up on the hill top. And soon enough the BBC guide spotted one more leopard 25 meters below the sleeping pair – this one was sleeping on a flat area that jutted out like a trail at the bottom of the escarpment. They were identified by the accompanying National Park staff to be a known mother and two 3rd year cubs. They have been camera trapped several times in the area this winter. We watched the full grown cubs and mother sleep for 3 more hours – they would periodically change positions and raise their heads and go back to sleep again. Some sparring Blue Sheep on our side of the valley put up a show as well and kept us company for almost the entire day. At about 4 pm the cubs woke up and started calling for their mom. But curiously enough, the mom was not interested. The cubs majestically made their way down the escarpment jumping from one ledge to another and we couldn’t help but marvel at their supreme expertise at something that appeared to be a miraculous feat to our eyes but

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is really just a stroll in the backyard for the leopards. They reached the horizontal area at the bottom and called out for the nearby mom again but there was no response from her yet again. Even more curiously, when the cubs walked past the mother, they appeared extremely wary of her. We thought that the mom was unwell but we would find out the real issue only two days later – basically it was finally time for separation from the cubs in order to mate again. The mom continued to sleep and the cubs eventually made their way down closer to the valley floor. We descended too. It was already dusk by then and both leopards

curled themselves up on a scree slope merely 30 meters away from us. They stared at us intently as if to investigate what we were up to, while we looked on feeling absolutely privileged. It was too dark for good photos or filming but this was one of the top moments of the expedition for me. We hiked back to camp in darkness, with only moonlight to show us our way – a great experience in itself and a fitting end to the day.

The aloof mother resting separately At dusk the cubs descended to investigate us from close range

12-MAR: By the time I woke up at 6.30 am, the guides had already made their way to Tarbung Valley to see if yesterday’s leopards were still in the area. The idea was that if they are found, the camp would be informed over wireless and we would hike our way up. Unfortunately they were not found for the entire day. By now the camp had thinned to a group of 5 and me. There was one more group of 4 which stopped to rest for some time in camp while returning to Leh from their homestay in Rumbak village. They informed us about some tracks they saw in the Rumbak Gorge while returning but that they could not find the leopard. I spent several more hours around camp, getting good looks at four White-browed Tit-Warblers that flitted through the willows in camp and a Woolly Hare in the poplar plantation near my tent. The spotters returned from Tarbung Valley at about 1 pm and at 3 pm we headed up to Husing Valley. We spent some time trying to interpret ancient petroglyphs depicting the fauna of the area but we found nothing else of note. At dinner time (8 pm) we heard a Snow Leopard vocalizing from a nearby slope but it couldn’t be located. Later this night, we heard several snow leopards incessantly vocalize all night from different areas near camp. At the time we didn’t understand what was going on but we would find out the next day.

That’s me, Tarbung Valley. BBC crew filming nearby.

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Woolly Hare White-browed Tit-Warbler

13-MAR: Today was my last day in the Rumbak Valley. It was decided that if we didn’t find any leopards before breakfast, we would hike to Yurutse (3 hours south) and try for Tibetan Partridge and possibly wolves. But that was not to be. As I was having morning tea one of the spotters screamed that he saw a leopard right at the entrance of the Husing Valley. It didn’t take us long to find it moving up a slope quite close to the southern end of camp. Suddenly it was joined by two more leopards and they were immediately identified as the same mom and two full grown cubs seen on 11th. They slowly made their way across the face of the cliff and entered the eastern face of the Rumbak Gorge. We hurried south, crossed the frozen river and took up positions on the west bank. Then something strange happened – the two cubs suddenly changed direction and pretty much retraced their path back into Husing Valley and at around the same time we noticed a large leopard approach the mother. We didn’t realize what was going on until they started mating a mere 300 meters away from us. It was soon identified by the NP staff as the dominant male of the area. Basically what happened over the last few days was that the dominant male was courting the mother of two and she was coming into heat. This meant that it was time for the cubs to leave. But the cubs didn’t want to separate, so the mother was trying to force the issue by ignoring them and possibly even admonishing them, which could explain the cubs’ wary demeanor when getting close to their mother on 11th. Last night’s pandemonium pretty much sealed the deal and the mother decided to give in to the dominant male. By morning the mother had moved closer to the male’s position in the intersection of the Husing & Rumbak valleys. Even though the cubs followed, they retreated when they saw the dominant male. Basically that was exactly the point of separation – they would now live together for one more year before going their own way. Meanwhile the mother will retreat to a hideout and give birth to a new litter about 3 months later. The dominant male will go on his own way after few days of intense mating. We felt extremely privileged to witness this incident because outside of a TV program, wildlife encounters are often isolated instances without the context of a story. But this one was different in that we saw the story of a life event unfold right in the wild with our own eyes, of a species no less charismatic than the Snow Leopard. By the time I had to leave for Leh, we had The dominant male biting his partner’s neck while mating.

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observed the couple for 8 hours within which they had mated 6 times. Magical! Before we left I went to the yak to give him some chapattis to eat, only to discover that the previous night he was attacked again – evident yet again from two new hairless patches. I advised a villager to take him back to Rumbak Village so he can be safe – he was being used as a stud for breeding Dzos (yak + cow cross) and belonged to the entire village of Rumbak. Losing an animal this important is a recipe for disaster, a prime example of man-animal conflict that endangers wild animals and livelihoods all over the world. Hopefully that story has a happy ending as well. 14-MAR: I woke up early in the comfort of my hotel room to start the day trip to Uley, a small village 2.30 hours away. The goal of the trip is to see the Ladakh Urial en-route and the Asiatic Ibex in Uley village. Uley is a popular homestay and it is recommended that visitors stay one night in Uley to maximize time there since both Grey Wolf and Snow Leopard are possible there. However a day trip was the most I could manage on this trip. The road to Uley is quite spectacular and so is the scenery around Uley. The arid flats before the turn off to Uley from the Srinagar Highway are good for Urial. We didn’t see any Urials on our way to Uley but we did find a few Eurasian Wrens and a flock of Red-fronted Serin in some riparian vegetation just below Uley. Once in Uley we were told that the Ibex were moving to the other side of the hill behind the two homestays. So we hiked to the other side (a fairly strenuous hike) and sure enough there was a herd of 6 majestic males. They remained in close proximity for an hour before we decided it was time to head back. This is quite possibly the most impressive species of goat in the world. We scanned for wolves in the open expanses behind the village but there were none today. We learnt that there were two wolves in their garden just two days ago. After a quick lunch at the homestay, accompanied by some very skittish biscuit-loving domestic sheep, we headed back to the highway to look for Urial. At a marshy area 19 km west of Nimmu we found several Water Pipits and over 50 Horned Larks. We didn’t find any Solitary Snipes though. Now although we assumed that Urial would be easy to find, we came close to missing it altogether after failing to find it in all the best areas along our route. Sadness was steadily creeping in but that changed in an instant. Just as we turned a corner in the road 9 km west of Nimmu, we were suddenly greeted by the spectacular sight of 50 Urials galloping across the vast arid flat. We stopped the car and hiked about 1 km into the desert and got very close to the herd, which by then had stopped to forage, giving us great views. Later, we stopped at the so called ‘Indus View Point’ close to Leh where we found some common water fowl on their migration back to their breeding grounds. This marked the end of the trip.

Ladakh Urial

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Asiatic Ibex, Uley

Mammals 1 Snow Leopard Panthera uncia [EN] A total of 6 different individuals across 3 separate

sightings. A failed hunt, separation of mom and cubs and finally mating - totally speechless!

2 Royle's Pika Ochotona roylei Several of these adorable critters along rocky areas near the frozen river in Rumbak Valley. Very bold and confiding. Busy munching on fallen dry leaves.

3 Woolly Hare Lepus oiostolus First seen in a spectacular leap through a cloud of dust, narrowly escaping from the outstretched paws of a Snow Leopard. Another one in the poplar and willow plantation at the camp site.

4 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Fairly common in the Rumbak area. Tracks seen every day and two separate sightings, one sleeping on a low ridge above camp and another running along a slope 30 m above camp.

5 Asiatic Ibex Capra sibirica A herd of 6 majestic males from close proximity in the hill behind Uley. Quite possibly the most impressive species of goat in the world.

6 Himalayan Blue Sheep Pseudois nayaur Common in the Rumbak Valley and seen every day. High count was 50 in multiple herds along a single ridge line near camp on 11th. Several sparring matches observed.

7 Ladakh Urial Ovis vignei [VU] We came close to missing this altogether but finally found a herd of 50 spectacularly galloping across the vast arid flat 9 km west of Nimmu.

An adorable Royle’s Pika The comical Chukar Partridge was common everywhere

© Pritam Baruah

Birds

1 Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar pallescens Common everywhere and very vocal.

2 Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis himalayensis

Fairly common in Rumbak Valley and adjoining valleys. Seen or heard every day.

3 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea A few on 14-Mar on River Indus.

4 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope A few on 14-Mar on River Indus.

5 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos A few on 14-Mar on River Indus.

6 Northern Pintail Anas acuta A few on 14-Mar on River Indus.

7 Common Teal Anas creca A few on 14-Mar on River Indus.

8 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 1 on 14-Mar along River Indus.

9 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1 on 14-Mar along River Indus.

10 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 1 in Husing Valley.

11 Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus barbatus Common. Seen daily. One perched very low right above Husing camp.

12 Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis Several sightings in Rumbak Valley.

13 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos daphanea Fairly common in Rumbak Valley. Seen or heard every day. Several nests seen close to camp.

14 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra A few on River Indus

15 Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii 1 along River Indus near Leh

16 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 1 along River Indus near Leh

17 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 1 along River Indus near Leh

18 Rock Pigeon Columba livia neglecta Common in Leh

19 Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris turkestanica Common in Rumbak Valley, where they have developed a taste for pony poop.

20 Eurasian Magpie Pica pica bactriana Common everywhere. Quite vocal.

21 Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax himalayanus

Common everywhere. Large flock of 200+ seen over Uley village.

22 Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus digitatus Many seen along Rumbak gorge.

23 Carrion Crow Corvus corone orientalis Common in Leh area.

24 Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris brandti A few in the fields outside Rumbak Village and over 50 at a marsh 19 Km west of Nimmu.

25 Great Tit Parus major nipalensis Common everywhere.

26 White-browed Tit-Warbler Leptopoecile sophiae sophiae Absolute stunner. Seen on 3 days at the willows around camp. Quite conspicuous when present.

27 Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes neglectus Several at a river valley bottom below Uley.

28 Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii tenuirostris 1 from the bridge below Uley.

29 Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus temminckii 1 in riparian habitat along River Indus

30 Black-throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis 1 in riparian habitat along River Indus at Spituk

31 White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus grandis This stunner was very common and conspicuous in Sea Buckthorn bushes.

32 House Sparrow Passer domesticus indicus Common in Leh area.

33 White-rumped Snowfinch Onychostruthus taczanowskii One flock in Husing Valley.

34 Tibetan Snowfinch Montifringilla adamsi adamsi One flock in Tarbung Valley.

35 Robin Accentor Prunella rubeculoides rubeculoides Common everywhere. The ones near camp would regularly search for goodies in pony poop.

36 Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens fulvescens Common everywhere especially in rocky areas with sparse vegetation near water.

37 White Wagtail Motacilla alba personata 1 in Uley.

38 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta blakistoni About 5 at a small marsh 19 Km west of Nimmu.

39 Plain Mountain Finch Leucosticte nemoricola Several flocks in Rumbak Valley & surroundings.

40 Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti haematopygia Several flocks in Rumbak Valley & surroundings.

41 Mongolian Finch Eremopsaltria mongolica One flock in Rumbak Valley.

42 Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus One large flock at a river valley bottom below Uley.

© Pritam Baruah

The scenery of the Western Himalayas from the Delhi-Leh flight is mind-blowing.

END