As we came back to camp after a long day of searching snow leopard hunting sites (places where we know snow leopards have been eating) we had an alarm on our surveillance system. We quickly grabbed all gear and went to the snare, in it was a big male ibex. He was too big for us to easily release so I gave him a sedative. He wasn’t fully immobilized but we got him out and looked after him until he could leave the site. On our way back to camp we saw snow leopard pugmarks in our ATV tracks. The leopard had walked there after we had left for the ibex, meaning at most an hour ago. The cat was headed straight for our camp! I got really happy when it turned 300 meters from camp, partly because Friday (the camp kitty) was out and I don’t want her to become a leopard snack.
Then we had a new alarm on the system and while I cleaned our gear Elin went up the mountain to check which snare that had been triggered. It was the one that the leopard was walking towards! As we came there an old friend was waiting for us – Shonkhor (means Falcon in Mongolian, a pair of Sakhar falcons nested at the site where we collared him the first time. Falcons are also a symbol of youth in Mongolia). He was first collared in May 2009, at that time he weighed 34 kg and I estimated him to be two years old. Since then he has gained some size and now weighs 39 kg. Most likely he is 3.5 years old. Shonkhor had an old collar that had malfunctioned, great to have that changed out for a new one.
I like Shonkhor, he has a lot of personality. First time I saw him he rolled over on his back with all four paws in the air. I puzzled my brain, trying to recall if anyone had ever mentioned what to do in this type of situation.
When we collared him this time Shonkhor was lying down with his head on his front paws. He didn’t seem too troubled about the situation, a lot of the vegetation around him was untouched so he can’t have been moving around much. He barred his teeth but except for that stayed still. I left the site and when we came back a couple of minutes later he was sleeping with his head resting on the front paws.
Shonkhor was a little skinny but seemed to be in good condition, his head as grown a lot wider since last time we met and now he gives the impression of a big powerful male. Though, he doesn’t have any scars in his face so perhaps he isn’t fully grown and hasn’t yet engaged in fighting with rivals.