The snow leopard of the Himalayas is the rarest of all big cats. This is the extraordinary account of the only scientific expedition ever to radio-collar and track the snow leopard in its natural habitat – the isolated, inhospitable, and awesome mountains of the Kanjiroba Himal in western Nepal.
At thirty-two, Darla Hillard had worked for most of her adult life as a secretary, satisfying her love of the outdoors only during vacations. She had little scientific training and no obvious qualifications to become a member of the Snow Leopard Project-except for her determination and faith in Rod Jackson, the wildlife biologist who led the expedition and with whom she fell in love.
In four field seasons in the breathtaking Langu Gorge, Darla, Rod, and their team endured the snows of the worst winter in western Nepal’s living memory, monsoon rains that sent landslides and boulders tumbling through their study area, a snow leopard bite to Rod’s hand that postponed the study for a month, and the danger of being a two-week hike away from the nearest airstrip to civilization. Out of it all came a landmark study that has helped unlock many of the secrets to this imperiled creature’s survival.
