National
Leopards found in Manang
Leopards have been spotted in Upper Manang, much to the surprise of conservationists from the National Trust for Nature Conservation who were monitoring the movement of musk deer in the region.Aash Gurung
Leopards have been spotted in Upper Manang, much to the surprise of conservationists from the National Trust for Nature Conservation who were monitoring the movement of musk deer in the region.
Paras Bikram Singh, the NTNC conservation officer, said the camera traps installed at Nisyang Valley had captured the leopards at Humde, Pisang and Ghyarue. He said they had never anticipated discovering Indian leopards at an altitude that was well above 3,820 metres.
Indian leopards were never seen in the region until now.
Karan Bahadur Shah, professor at the Institute of Forestry in Tribhuvan University, said that the leopards might have reached the mountainous region in search of prey.
He said that Indian leopards have been found at an altitude of 4,500 metres in Kanchanjunga and Manaslu regions.
Binod Gurung, the chairman of Annapurna Conservation Area Management Committee, said that climate change could be one of the factors that drove the leopards to the region.