Snow Leopard Encounter

[Sophie Reynolds]

Youcan help support this critical snow leopard research by making a symbolic snow leopard adoption today. 100% of the proceeds go to on-the-ground programs that help better understand and protect these endangered cats!

So little is known about snow leopards that discovering anything about their behavior is noteworthy. In order to differentiate between the hunting and feeding behavior of a lone female and that of a female with cubs, we needed to know the status of each individual. This required some poor souls to hike out and observe snow leopards feeding.

We had spotted her! She was slowly moving away from her kill and into the open. Once she noticed us, she stopped and disappeared. I had heard about large cats vanishing without moving but had attributed it to researchers exaggerating about the elusiveness of their study species. Now I believe it.

My crowning achievement during my fellowship was being able to scout an area, find sign, and set a trap. Shannon Kachel, the project Principal Investigator, watched closely but let me do all of the work. A week after leaving Kyrgyzstan and returning to Yellowstone, I learned that the trap I set captured a snow leopard! I wish I could have been there, but just knowing that I was able to put what I learned into practice was an amazing feeling.

Panthera's efforts to protect the snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan include training wildlife detection dogs to stem poaching and trafficking of snow leopards and their prey; working with community-based conservancies to predator-proof livestock corrals and establish nature tourism programs to support livelihoods; and releasing cats into the wild when they are captured by farmers. Learn more about how we conserve snow leopards throughout their range.

Get even closer to your favourite species on an unforgettable animal encounter. You will join a small group of fellow animal-lovers and one of our expert Animal Keepers, who will escort you to an exclusive, often behind-the-scenes area of the park. There, you will be able to ask your expert all of your animal-questions and enjoy an unforgettable animal encounter during which you will have the chance to interact with and - where possible - hand-feed your chosen species.

Get within a whisker of our tigers as you join one of our expert team to discover more about our Sumatran tigers. You may have the opportunity to join our expert as they feed one of these magnificent cats too!

Join one of our expert Keepers for a behind the scenes tour to meet our snow leopards. Discover more about this incredible species and enjoy first hand insights about our leopards' personalities from the people who know them best - our Keepers! You'll then be given the opportunity to feed snow leopards through the fence, under the watchful eye of our team.

Meet the UK's largest herd of African elephants at Howletts and see our adorable elephant calf! You'll learn all about elephant behaviour, enrichment, anatomy and dietary requirements from one of our expert Keepers and may have the opportunity to help the team with an elephant feed.

Enjoy a close encounter with one of our magnificent, yet critically endangered, black rhinos. Accompanied by one of our team you'll discover more about this species, get up close and personal with one of our rhinos and take part in hand feeding them some healthy treats.

Meet our giant anteaters and discover first hand how long their incredible tongues are. Go behind the scenes to see how these amazing animals, with their immensely powerful front legs and impressive claws, are built for cracking open ant nests to get to the tasty ants inside!

Howletts is home to the largest collection of western lowland gorillas in the world. Accompanied by one of our expert Keepers, you'll go behind the scenes to see some of our gorillas as you enjoy a guided tour. Weather permitted you will join the keepers on the roof while the Gorillas are being fed

The ideal experience for aspiring animal keepers, our keeper experiences offer the chance for your conservationists of all ages to roll up their sleeves and join our team of animal experts for the day!

Howletts' expert team are ready to share their years of experience with you on a series of unmissable talks and tours. These unique experiences will give you the opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with some of our most passionate and knowledgeable staff.

In Khunjerab National Park, there are many footprints on the roads and in the snowy fields of the river. On the Karakoram Highway, I also found traces of snow leopards after they slept in certain places and on worn plastic pet bottles that were chewed up by the snow leopard kittens that had played with them as toys. Snow leopards seem to regularly come onto the Karakoram Highway, which makes for easier paths to travel at night and in the early morning hours when there are no cars around.

Even though we saw it, the snow leopard was so fast and it was difficult to catch a photo of it as it walked away. At 3,300 meters above sea level, we were so excited and became short of breath. As we took the photos, our hands were shaking, not sure if the photos would come out.

A Snow leopard, actually walking, in the snow. So often, Snow leopards are observed amongst rocky backdrops, so it was nice to finally be able to observe this snow leopard with the white snow, which it was named after.

We returned to Sost at 2:30 pm for a late lunch. This day was a celebration for the guides (but no alcohol!). A buffet of different kinds of yak meat. All enjoyed a fusion of yak meat recipes, such as yak mantu (Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, which borders Sost, Central Asian cuisine) and yak nihari (a dish of the Indian subcontinent that is stewed with beef parts and the bone marrow).

The leopards reside high above the tree line in the summer. But the winter snows drive them down to lower elevations. The blue sheep, the Asiatic ibex, the Argali blue sheep, marmots, and pikas are their favored prey. They all are forced to descend the mountainside for food when there is a lot of winter snowfall on the mountain peaks. The predators track the prey down the slopes to spots where we can get a sight of the snow leopard. Moreover, tracking and spotting the snow leopard becomes easier due to the increased snow cover.

See for yourself all that you have read and watched on the internet, about the tranquil beauty of Nepal and the warm hospitality of Nepalese. Get ready to experience Nepal up close and personal. You must have an impatient heart for a breathtaking adventure in Nepal. After flying through the beautiful view of this trekkers' paradise, you will meet our company representative waiting with a placard with your name or company name on it at the airport who will greet and warmly receives you. Then, we will transfer you to your booked hotel or our recommended hotel at Thamel. Once you check in at the hotel, get refreshed and be ready for the briefing about the tour.

There is a lot to see and do in Thamel. If you have an early arrival, you may stroll around the hippest and most happening area in Thamel, where you can find restaurants with varieties of cuisine to dine at. This first night in the country, you will be staying in Kathmandu.

On your second day, you can go sightseeing in some of the famous religious and historical sites of Kathmandu. After exploring this city of temples; you will meet your tour guide at the hotel. You will be briefed in detail about the wildlife adventure. The guide will also assist you with any last-minute shopping that you require for the safari.

After a good morning meal you will be traveling to Besisahar, the entry point of Annapurna Circuit Trekking. A private van will be waiting for you at the hotel parking hop on and get ready to ride. 6-7 hours of this fun-filled ride will take you to Besisahar. You can spend the rest of the evening taking a rest and preparing for the next day.

On this day you will ride to Manang which will take 2-3 hours. This day in Manang is perfect to wear off your travel exhaustion and prepare for the trek. While at Manang, you can spend your day exploring the village of Manang and experience its unique culture and lifestyle.

If you want to spend the rest day without doing much walking then there are places like Manang Cultural Museum, Bodzo Gumba, and cafes with better food options and internet. Manang is a major trading center and you can buy batteries, sunscreen, and chocolate.

Walking along the valley through the drier upper part of Manang (the unofficial trekking capital of the Annapurna Circuit) we will track the snow leopard trails. Furthermore, we can witness the majestic Annapurna range while tracking the trails of snow leopards.

Once you reach Kathmandu you will check-in at a nice hotel around the Thamel area. At the evening you can stroll around for souvenir shopping, drinks, and dinner. Walking around Thamel and nearby areas for shopping and self-exploring the narrow streets of this tourist hub is a good idea to spend your evening in Kathmandu.

Your adventurous tour concludes today. It is time to bid farewell! Our company representative will meet you at your hotel and drop you at the airport according to your flight schedule for your return flight home. It is good to be at the airport at least 2 hours before your departure to complete the airport check-in on time. Tiger Encounter hopes to take you on another exciting wildlife safari in Nepal soon.

Manang is located in the Himalayan region of the Western part of Nepal where the snow leopard encounter is done. To reach there you should travel from Kathmandu to Besisahar to Chame to Manang in 3 days with 6 to 8 hours a day.

The Snow leopards are highly adaptive to their habitat in the cold mountains. Their ears are small and round to minimize heat loss. Likewise, their paws are aboard to balance the body weight of walking on snow. Similarly, their thick fur patterned with dark rosettes and spots is the perfect camouflage for their rocky habitat. The long dense and woolly fur also protects them from cold. They also use their bushy tails as a blanket while resting.

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