Randall Kyes was cited in this Nepal Polity article about declining snow leopard population in Langtang National Park of Nepal
Snow leopard is declining in Langtang National Park
Posted onBy Nepal Polity desk
Snow leopard population is declining in Langtang National Park of Nepal.
Talking to Associate Professor Deepak Gajurel, for Nepal Polity, University of Washington Biologist, Professor Dr. Randall C. Kyes says that the population of snow leopard has gone down.
“There are indications in recent years that snow leopard is declining, since we started monitoring this endangered cat species in early 2000’s,” Professor Kyes says.
“A survey we conducted in 2002 had recorded at least 5 cats in Kenjing area alone. But recent studies have revealed less number of its population. However, it is not clear whether the species is facing trouble in survival or are migrating to other places due to pressures,” he adds.
Tribhuvan University Professor Dr. Mukesh Chelise and Professor Kyes had jointly studies on snow leopard in Langtan National Park, nearly two decades back.
This team of two wildlife scientists was the first to record the existence of snow leopard in Langtang National Park. “To the best of our knowledge of documented records, we (Dr. Chalise and Dr. Kyes) are the first to record snow leopard in Langtang,” Prof. Kyes claims.
Though small scale survey studies have regularly been done on snow leopard at some areas of Langtang National Park, detail study is yet to be carried out. “An extensive research on habitat, prey species’ availability, possibility of migration, human encroachment, outside pressures on wildlife and other vital aspects is required,” says the American wildlife expert.
During his research trip to Nepal in February 2018, University of Washington Professor Dr. Randall C. Kyes spent few minutes with Tribhuvan University Associate Professor Deepak Gajurel for Nepal Polity and shared his knowledge and information on this endangered species of wild animal.
The video record of the same follows.