On the trail of tigers and snow leopards
by Eric Dinerstein
This is a rather fascinating book that tells the true story of not one, but two adventures in Nepal by a research Biologist in the study of big cats.
The first part of the book tells the tale of an excursion as a survey biologist in the author's young days as a Peace Corp volunteer in the 1970's. He is sent to a place called Bardiya (Bardia), a National Park in Nepal which is now a protected area, ostensibly to count endangered tigers.
The story is told in a conversational manner that draws the reader in thoroughly, as if we are personally dealing with government bureaucracy, then riding an elephant along with the author and almost get washed down the river and experience the excitement of finding tracks and almost stumbling on a sleeping tiger.
Though it is written by a scientist, the tale becomes a spiritual journey, looking through his eyes at an unspoiled place, getting to know the local people and their very different way of life and becoming a jungle guardian. His desire to contribute something meaningful to conservation brings the reader's awareness of species preservation to a personal level, away from the television adverts asking us to contribute money to one cause or another into a realm where people have done real work and made personal sacrifices to care for the animals of the planet.
The book is very moving, as well as educational. There are amusing moments, such as the explanation of the term 'turdology' which is applied to the practice of collecting droppings of local prey species to ascertain their populations and movements in relation to those of the tigers. Many interesting facts filter into the narrative over the two years the author spent on this assignment. I had no idea that there were fresh water dolphins, for example, and now I know that there are six species of them world wide and something about their distribution.
I was also a little amused by the Nepalese word for tiger, (baagh) and for sloth bear (bhalu) as I had recently read Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book and could see the connection to how he named his characters.
The second part of the book is titled Kingdom of the Snow Leopard. This adventure, several years and a Ph.D later, takes us up a Himalayan mountain to study Snow Leopards. The important research on these beautiful cats was scarce before this excursion and much of what we now know about their habits and movements came from this study and others that built on what these scientists recorded. Several known scientists were involved this time, including a lady the snow leopards owe much to, Helen Freeman. Despite contracting pneumonia, this brave woman went up the side of a Himalayan mountain in whiteout blizzard conditions to study these animals and work towards their continued existence.
Again, the true to life story is related in an engaging tone that takes the reader through the adventure from the comfort of their home. I could see the magnificent vistas of the snowy mountains and feel the excitement when paw prints were found. We even get a recipe for Kasmiri tea! Again, I learned many facts about these lovely creatures that I did not know before reading the book and although these were already my personal favourite big cats, sharing in this study through the written medium allowed me to develop an even greater appreciation for their nature, for the reasons for some of their distinctive qualities (like jumping), and for the importance of preserving the species.
This wasn't a long book, but enough emotion and adventure was packed into it to stay with me for some time to come, probably forever. It will have a lasting impact on me, and I expect on any big cat lover who reads it.
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4 Stars
