Given the erratic uplinks from Shonkhor’s collar (red), we had a rare moment this week with the recording of a cluster, possibly depicting a kill site or resting spot! On the 8th and 9th of February, we received a cluster of three locations within 50 meters of each other. Unfortunately there were no uplinks following that until the 15th when he had moved, and therefore we are unable to identify how long Shonkhor remained at the site and why. The good news is that Orjan is in the field now and the camp is set up and ready. As told by the herders, the winter this year has been remarkably cold. Most areas are covered under a thick layer of snow, and this makes our field work a bit more challenging for now. Even a visit to investigate the cluster points from Shonkhor’s collar will depend on snow, potentially limiting access. Aztai (green) patrolled his home range, with several uplinks showcasing his movement. He spent a fair amount of time within 5 km from base camp and was on the move, apparently not on any large kill this week.
Thanks for the update on these great cats!