[00:00:00] Speaker A: They call them the ghosts of the mountains. Nepal is the snow leopards and a landscape that seemed to touch the sky. For centuries, these cats were seen as enemies of the shepherds who worked these peaks. But in the remote region of Dopol, a pioneering conservationist is rewriting this ancient narrative, turning conflict into cooperation and enemies into allies.
Welcome back to Rewadology, the nature podcast that explores the human side of conservation travel and rewounding the planet. I'm your host, Brooke Mitchell, conservation biologist and adventure traveler.
Today we're traveling to the remote region of Dopol, where I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Shirring Lama, a remarkable snow leopard conservationist who's rewriting the rules of coexistence in her hometown.
After witnessing the heart wrenching reality of human wildlife conflict during her research, shearing founded snow leopard journey, a woman led tourism company that's proving conservation and community prosperity can go hand in hand.
In this conversation. Shering and I follow her path from her early days researching the complex relationship between caterpillar fungus harvesting and snow leopard habitat disturbance to her transformative journey with legendary conservationist George Schaller. Then we explore how she's turning local herders into conservation champions and creating a future where snow leopards and communities don't just coexist, they thrive. You'll come away with understanding why these mysterious cats are worth saving and how sustainable tourism might be a key to their survival.
Before we dive in, if you're loving what you're hearing, don't be shy. Please hit that subscribe button, leave a rating of review, and share this episode with your wildlife obsessed friends. Every listen helps spread the conservation word.
Also, if one snow leopard episode isn't enough for you, scroll through the archives back to episode 38 with Rinzen Lama, who is studying and conserving snow leopards in his remote hometown of Humla, Nepal. Alright, that is enough from me. Let's venture into the world of snow leopard conservation with the inspiring Shirring llama.
Well, hi sheering, thank you so much for sitting down with me and talking about one of my admittedly favorite species of all time. And you have been working with them for quite a long time to conserve them, especially in your home area. So let's actually get into that. You grew up in the himalayas, which is just mind blowing to me. Could you talk about that a little bit? Take us back in time. What was your childhood like? What was an average day for you growing up in the Dopo region of Nepal?
[00:03:01] Speaker B: And thank you so much, Brook. I'm so happy to share my memory and experience with.
I was born in the very remote after Nepal Himalay. My home is adult Himalay. When I was very young, you know, my child stays. Lots of our people were talking about snow leopards. And actually at that time I don't like the snow labels because my job used to, my duty used to care and raising the livestock, the jungle yards.
And I mostly used to go to the pasture land to take care those livestocks. And lots of our local people say, oh, you have to care carefully, otherwise the snow leopards or wolves attract your livestock. And then I care fully washed my livestocks and then. But at that time I haven't seen the snow leopards. So in 1995, luckily, I met the one westerner from the montana.
His name is Doc Emmons. He came to our hometown like with the kayak, you know, kayak expedition. So my village is very close to the one, one beautiful lake. It's called Fukushunda Lake. So the Kayak expedition, their proposal for riding the kaya on that lake.
So in 1995, I was like six years old. So lots of children, you know, went to the lakeside to see that new objects like kayak, new people, foreigner and among the kayak team, one of the offer us children ride on the kayak. And I was very pleased to go with them right on the lake. So I have very small big salad picture with the kayak team.
And then after a year and my parents got a letter from the kayak team and later they want to sponsor my education sponsored. But at that time there was no schools. So my parents had to send me like three days walk down to the lower door.
And then I started like grade ten in the lower Doppel lowland, which is fire from three days walk from my place.
And I started after grade ten. And then I was so interested in science faculty science program and I finished the grade ten in the lord all and had to come to the carpenter city for my higher education, high school because there was no science schools, science college, you know.
And. Yeah. And during the day, my school time, we have a junior ranger program and in every Friday and Saturday and that junior ranger programs we have to do lots of things environmental related and bird watching and river cleaning and forest, I mean tree plantation and cleaning, all these things, I think. But later I, I know that that's junior ranger program initiated by the small leopard Conservancy in us like California base. And then I came to Carson river and I did the high school in the biology. And in the while studying the biology, I'm so interested in the wildlife and wildlife and wildlife management and sort of things. And then that encouraged me to study further in wildlife management.
And after the high school finish completion and I did a bachelor in environmental science. And within the environmental science I specialized the wildlife management.
And still I'm very, very fascinated and interested and deep, deeper interested in studying the wildlife. And after bachelor I joined the master in natural resource management.
So during the master thesis and my friends and all the leaders, they're looking for the issues and which is issues they are doing the master's thesis. But for me it's a best, you know, piece of cake. In adult region there's lots of issues because nobody can go there and do research at that time.
There's, you know, the caterpillar fungus, it's a Chinese that have larva have a fungus some people call the himalayan bird. And last year, University of Oxford, they prove it's a 40% cure for cancer cure. It's a major medicinal plants. It's really in Nepal and my hometown within the national park and lots of outsider and yeah, of course local people, they came and harvested the caterpillar fungus and then I found caterpillar fungus habitat and snow leopard habitat is totally overlaid.
And I had decided to do the tests and impact of caterpillar fungus collection or arteries and snow lip habitat and. Yeah, and after MIT master thesis I found the findings very, very negative impact.
And then after that I, I focused and put my energy all the things in snow leopard conservation in my like, you know, in my hometown. Scalpel.
[00:09:50] Speaker A: So what were the negative effects that you found?
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Hardwoods, they brought their livestock in the snow habitat or both habitat during the Erzatumba collection. If local name is erzebumba, it's common english name is caterpillar fungus. Some people prefer the chinese caterpillar fungus because it's highly demanded in China.
So during that and two snow leopard cubs and they are two snow leopard cubs chasing the baby yaks of the herders or harvesters and their baby calves killed by the dead two cows. And in the return the herders put poisonous and torturing and beating and, you know, tail dragging. I think that's, that's is uh, that's moment I think put in my snow leopard calling also if you remember or not just few.
[00:11:06] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, that video I, I like got a little sick to my stomach. As somebody who, you know, loves this creature is to watch the torturing of those snell leopards. I was a little sick.
[00:11:19] Speaker B: Yeah, that's, that's a, that's the negative findings.
[00:11:23] Speaker A: So I guess to bring back to a motivational standpoint, when did you decide that it was the snow leopard you wanted to focus on? So you said that, you know, in the beginning you used to be scared of them and then you went to school and you started to study the caterpillar fungus and you realized that it overlapped with snow leopard territory.
Was that the point that you decided that you wanted to study snow leopards or was it just happenstance? You're like, oh, I'm really interested in this plant, the medicinal properties. People are coming in, into my home to harvest these and I'm sure that had all kinds of conflict. I can only imagine all these foreigners coming in to harvest, you know, your stuff, and then you saw the connection to snow leopards or when in your journey did this, did they come into your life during that?
[00:12:17] Speaker B: Yeah, one of the reasons is that, but another main reason is when I study the wildlife importance and the food change, you know, ecosystem balance. So snow leopards in our hometown is known as TikTok predators who, who balance the ecosystem.
And, yeah, that's knowledge in my, ingrained in my mind and looking at the ground in my grass community, totally, you know, negative attitude towards the snow conservations. And I found when I was young, yeah, I was like them. But later, like, while getting the educated, I found myself or not. I have to avoid my community. I have to save this knowledge which is very vulnerable and which is very, very threatened from my local community. I have to, you know, motivate them, convince them and encourage them.
You're not employed and empowered and so that they might have in my mind. And then I had decided I specialize in snow leopards in my hometown one day.
[00:13:43] Speaker A: Just how cool. What an amazing personal mission to go down. You know, you see a need, a conservation need in your own backyard and you're like, that is what I'm going to dedicate myself to. Like, that's incredible.
[00:13:57] Speaker B: Yeah, and I was confident that I can convince my local people, people, because there is no language barrier and, yeah, one of the no language barrier. And second is I'm a woman, you know, and I was the first panzerian woman from my, my community and first woman educated from my community, my local reasons at that time. So. And I can convince them that I was, you know, totally confident.
[00:14:30] Speaker A: Confidence is key. Yeah. Having, having that social proof is huge. And I mean, also too, like, congratulations. I just feel like this needs to be said. You were the first woman, first woman conservationist in your community, the first one to get higher education, like, oh, sharing, you're just so incredible. Oh, this is why I'm so grateful.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: Talk to you at that time. Nowadays the younger womans are coming, next generation humans are coming. So that I am.
[00:15:04] Speaker A: Oh, and I'm sure you're a mentor.
[00:15:05] Speaker B: I'm happy to know, to see their progress. And I am following that, you know, like education road.
[00:15:17] Speaker A: That's so cool. That's awesome. So before we get back into.
[00:15:24] Speaker B: Your.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: Work with your community, I would like to take this up a little higher so that we can all have a general understanding of snow leopard conservation. So could you maybe explain what are some of the top issues that our snow leopards are facing and then we'll get more into the solutions. But yeah, what's going on? Why are they not faring well right now?
[00:15:49] Speaker B: Completion of my master and I was fortunately to join the international conservation organization WWF Nepal. And during the working for them. And I was assigned to go to my community to do the hardware survey. And then I did, I went to every corner of drone book of reasons where I, local people even never reached that area. And I talk, I talk and conversation, had good conversation with every harder woman. And at that time I found the 99% of herders were women.
And then what I learned an important lesson from the harder women. They say you are the snow leopard guardians, who are the livestock guardians.
You are going to save and support snow laborers who are like valued at livestocks. So totally their perspective, my persistent total opposite. And then one question, they raise that one with me to, I mean, share with me. And second question, they say, everybody come and ask and gather the information from us of how much depredations, status or maybe how many lives of you have, have you seen this knowledge? And then there's lots of conflict question also, but they never give us, like in Britain, give us anything.
And so this why you say this knowledge, it never give us food, it never give up fuel, it never give us fertilizers, it never give us anything.
Even they kill and attack our valuable livestock, which is we raised many, many years and the snow leopard erased or killed our livestock. Our saving lifetime savings is erased.
And then I try to convince them slowly and slowly, day by day, the ecosystem values of snow laborers and cultural value of smaller birds with them. But you know, they are concerned under food, fertilizers, day by day, daily activities. So saving and conserving the snow leopards is totally, you know, out of their box.
So I try to slow them and then, and then another time I want to be you know some people ask me and my, my mind, my soul also asks me what you want to be and I say I want to be this developer researchers but from that what I learned from the harder woman and since then I, and I switched, I have switched my like being the researchers to the conservationist. So and I totally now I'm small leper conservationist. Yeah I do a little bit information but not interested to publish the, you know, articles and research findings and lot of things, you know if I do that and then the personal benefits for my community, for my harder womans in terms of, you know, that perspective and I slowly switch my interest being the researcher to the conservations and after being the conservationist and I support them. First slide reading, now I'm doing the predator proof corals and train, train the local roots of herded community to be the snow leopard who can are able to show the snow leopards. So to the tourist side of things now my kami others they are happy. My ultimate goal is to value the snow leopards by the local community.
So if there is a contribution, benefits from the smaller part for the community and of course community iPhone community will value, of course definitely value the snow leopard. So I'm going now. Yes, this sort of, sort of approaches.
[00:20:37] Speaker A: I completely understand that because I have a science background as well and I realize that, okay, there are incredible academics out there that are doing wonderful research like you publish the papers. I will do my best to be a mic like a megaphone to get the word out and talk to incredible people like you.
You know, we don't all have to be researchers in our field, like you are doing incredible work, which we'll get into soon, which is just as important as the research side. Like you went out, you got the data, you saw the issues that were happening with snow leopards and it sounds like in your area at least that may be retaliatory killings. Was that the number one issue?
[00:21:20] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:21:20] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So depredation of livestock and retaliatory killings. Okay, yeah, that makes, that makes total sense and you saw it. So then let's talk about the coexistence side of this. You briefly mentioned some of them.
So what is actually working for helping your community live with snow leopards? And also what was their reaction to the solutions that you brought to them?
[00:21:51] Speaker B: And they are living coexisting snow leopard killed their livestock and they in return they kill the snow leopards. So friends, since 2016 I have been seen and heard the 1111, you know, 1111 Snow leopards was dead.
That's due to brutality killings. The stone leopard come in corals at the night and kill like more than 45 some hundreds in a single night by one snow leopard. One snow leopard. So the family are totally angry with that masculine. Yeah of course even for me my livestock killed by snow leopards that's a. That's you know use. Yeah I'm also angry with this now the police. So I absorb and research and lots of and develop the concept and what's the reasons to reduce the masking or fatality killings. This masculine is one of the motivator you know I mean the factor to kill snow lepers in return.
So. So nature of their corals is totally single single pile stone corals. Nature is single pile strong and totally open and it's not more than 3ft height.
[00:23:24] Speaker A: So that's nothing for snow leopard or any cat.
[00:23:27] Speaker B: Yeah it's not for the snow. It's not been jumping over the you know 7ft of sciences like.
And then the nature of coral construction is not proof.
And then I designed many times it took me like two years to develop that concept into your reality all the things. And then now my predator proof corals is robust and yeah and I'm confident 100% snow leopards not enter into the corals and which is both animals are saved.
A snow leopard mostly attracted wooden sea besides in medium size.
So for herders even like wooden sheep inside the corals it totally drove. And then. Yeah and that snowed some upward. Roof and roofing are mess wire. Totally mesh wire. And then I piloted a month ago and yeah it proved already really good. I found a good findings.
[00:24:43] Speaker A: Okay yeah that's incredible. So could you talk about the difference? So how did you make this these corrals snow leopard proof? Like since most people are going to be listening to this audio could you maybe explain them and how these corrals are different?
[00:25:01] Speaker B: Yeah my working areas where there is no tree even single tree no tree. So the trim bar is not available.
If we carry the timber from the low low door body upper door its transportation cost is usually.
And then my one is galvanized metals and it's very not wall system. It's joined which is easily transported from lowland or ptolemy. And it's long lasting like the manufacturer says like minimum 50 years.
And then the stone with the wood cement like foundation and well sidewall with the mud and stone and meshwork.
So I trained the local woman to how to weigh that in the. On the sides.
Oh yeah and they are happy to fix the metal fittings with the knotted balls and weaving that miss, you know, our miss wire hole is less than 1.2, no, 1.5 inches, like this, much smaller than otherwise. No leopard legs, you know, go down.
[00:26:31] Speaker A: You get stuck, and then it would.
[00:26:32] Speaker B: Just be a hole and trap and make.
[00:26:34] Speaker A: Oh, that could be a whole other issue.
[00:26:36] Speaker B: Other issues. So it's smaller than the snow leopard, lake fruit, wet bump. And the special features of the corals is like very human friendly.
Usually in Dolpoo, most construction belongs to the man. Men, you know, man can do build out everything, you know. But for my period of coralse, more than 50% women involved metal fitting and, you know, wire meal.
[00:27:13] Speaker A: Wow. So they also gained new skills of how to build, too.
[00:27:17] Speaker B: New skills, yeah. And more engaging the woman in conservation.
[00:27:25] Speaker A: Wow. So, okay, so you found a solution for protecting livestock and hopefully the solution to the retaliatory killings, which seems to be the top issue that snow leopards in your community are facing and like the area around where your community lives. So let's switch gears now to snow leopard journeys.
How and why did you decide to start snow leopard treks? A snow leopard company, tourism company in the Dopo region.
[00:28:04] Speaker B: Yeah, my community, they said, obviously there is no benefit from the snow leopard. Why you save the snow? It's never give us food, it's never give us water, it's never give us anything.
So I want to show them the proof. Yeah. How is valuables, you know, and, yeah, I taught them and convinced them ecosystem balance, but they do not understand about ecosystem balance, you know, importance of the significance of the, you know, food chains. This is a, you know, technical term they couldn't understand and enter. Easier to convince them is.
And I heard lots of from the Ladakhs.
Many years before Ladakh, people had snow leopards. Now they love snow leopards. So due to snow leprosy. So I got the, I got the details of suggestions from the doctor Gerseller, who is the renowned conservationist, and he suggested and supported me to go to that lab. And I found. And I went to the Ladakhs in 2017, our 18. Yeah, 18, and recited the snow leopards within the three days. And that's Ladakhi. People were so happy to see the snow leopards if not seen, and they felt so sad why we didn't see that or. No, some things in Dolby is totally opposite. If we saw the stall leopard, they're so sad. If it's not seen. Okay, good. Now it's not, you know, gone, you sleep loss. I mean, that disappear. So our livestock, you know, raising this livestock easier from the period it was like snow leopards.
And I said yeah, it, it would be good idea to replicate, I mean learn from this. From Ladakh too. That is my hometown and my hometown is sort of similar to the lata people.
And then I try to train the local youth but you know, our dog region is situated between the civil, close to the Tibet and restricted area and our government.
So we need to go through this special barn and through the register tracking company.
So I had to do registered tracking company and through the tech like snow leopard journey. So through the snow leopard journey and then I started see if I train and give the job to the local, you have the harder community. So they make some income from the snow, labor, tourism, so later it's. Or the income may improve their livelihoods, you know, so. And definitely they value the snow levels like, like a lot of. And then, yeah, and then I did. So I started from the zero level, there were no smaller sporters. I have started from the zero level and my characteristics is 50% women and 50% man.
And yeah, all the things I started from the zero level and now I'm happy.
Some goes to the snow leopards conservation and my hometown.
[00:31:55] Speaker A: So how in the world did you find snow leopards? This is one of the most difficult predators on the planet to see. So how did you start to be able to take tourists to see snow leopards? Did you bring spotters from the doctoo and they trained you and local spotters how to find them or just. Yeah, how did, how did this even happen? It's incredible what you have done and what you have built and I want to make sure that we understand the magnitude of this because I can't fathom, I don't know how you even do this.
[00:32:46] Speaker B: In dope. It's everywhere snow, but it's elusive. So we, we have to do the hard work to find the snow leopards, not chasing the snow leopards. We identified some vantage point and with the sporting scope, you know, you're not only naked eye sporting school, I know we follow there the howling, howling in at night in the winters. Yeah, there's lots of strategies in pregnancy, so I want to say it on this platform because in Nepal, lots of tracking company, they asking us the itinerary and sort of strategy and I, I'm scared, you know, I'm scared of uh, it's going to. For the masterism and you know, if it's good masterism and then you know, my snow lip gun. So I keep this itinerary secretly and strategy.
[00:33:47] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't blame you.
[00:33:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:33:50] Speaker A: This is your baby. This is your treasure. This is your community and your snow leopards. I don't blame you, girl. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we definitely don't need to say where this is or how, but more just like the.
Yeah, like, how.
How do you do this? How do you find a cat? I mean, one of my favorite games, like, I mean, I'm really not on social media that much anymore, but I love the photos where it's like an I spy and it's like, find the snow leopard. And, like, to this day, and I'm really good spotter, I still. It takes me forever to find a snow leopard in a photo. So I can't imagine looking at a himalayan landscape and knowing that somewhere in this multi mile radius there's a cat and you gotta find it like that. Sharing that blows my mind that you've.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: Been able to do this. Yeah, sometimes we cannot make a guarantee, 100% sighting, but lots of our clients, they are happy to experience with the sign and to see their activities in the snow leopard habitats. You know, the snow leopard movement patterns are like walking on the snow leopard trail, even though it's not sighted.
[00:35:18] Speaker A: Yeah, I understand. Yeah, that's definitely one of those animals. There is not a 100% guarantee to see one of these. So how many people, then, from your local community are you able to employ when you are running the tracks?
[00:35:33] Speaker B: Yeah, I have trained 1515 snow local youths at Snow leopard.
[00:35:40] Speaker A: I mean, that's a. That's a good number. 15 people that can be employed from snow leopards. Like, that is just so cool. And are you starting to notice a cultural shift at all with do people, are they starting to like snow leopards? Are they coming around to this idea?
[00:36:00] Speaker B: Yeah, lots of. Lots of local, you would say.
I got a lot of phone from local youth. Oh, I'm interested in training. I'm in standards training. So nowadays I'm quite busy for the flea project to be completed and also, yeah, looking for fundings, you know, how fully the impact fund from the film will help to train the more local reach.
[00:36:29] Speaker A: Just. How cool.
Yeah, just you're just. You're doing everything for snow leopards. And even another thing that you're doing that is getting ready to come out is you actually have a film which is going to be dropped soon. I have not been able to see it yet because, I mean, we are very. We're talking like, it is getting ready to be released. So it's so new. But could you talk about this. What is this upcoming film? Film that I know is going to be submitted to some pretty big. It sounds like some pretty big film festivals, which that's like, incredibly exciting. So what is this film? What. What's the story like? I guess, what's the plot or storyline? What's it called? And then what are you hoping will come from this film once it's out?
[00:37:19] Speaker B: Yeah, the film features the, like, my work and the sisters are Snowden birds and prospective attitudes of the local community towards Snowden birds. And lots of these things cover and the main focus, two sisters, one me and one is another from my blessed sister. And focus in snow leopards through, like, our own life struggles. And that's the main, you know, main points.
And it's now under the release. So if the festival accepted, the flame is probably in end of the January of February.
[00:38:11] Speaker A: Wow. Yeah, that'll be awesome. We'll definitely have to keep an eye out. Uh, what is the film called?
[00:38:17] Speaker B: Snow Leopard Sister. The film is called Snow Leopard Sister.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: How long did it take? Were they. Did they like, come with you on a trek? Is that what, like, the film is about? You're on a trek and they, like, have a sea of the things and like, um. But also interview you and sister? Is that.
[00:38:34] Speaker B: Yeah, first they came to, you know, sir, we three millery survey in our hometown.
And then second shooting and then third shooting and then interview. Lots of interview. Yeah, that's. That's. That's the date.
[00:38:54] Speaker A: I will be very excited to see it when it is available to watch.
[00:38:59] Speaker B: Please, you must watch, because even for me, it was so. So, you know, heart touching and. And you. Inspiring. Yeah.
Give some energy to do the mug snow leopard wag in my hometown. Yes.
[00:39:16] Speaker A: And I would like to just turn back to you for a little bit, sharing since, I mean, you've been the first of so many. You were the first, you know, woman in your village to go get a higher education, become the first conservationist, like, bring snow leopard conservation to your community. And while all of that is wildly inspiring, I'm sure that you had to overcome a lot to do that. Struggles everything.
Could you talk a little bit more about that? What was it actually like for you to do this? Were there hard days? Did you have a lot of pushback? Yeah. Would you talking to us a little bit about that? What was the actual struggle for you to do this?
[00:40:03] Speaker B: Yeah, actually, I struggle for lots of my community, develop teachers, you know, professions. Teacher professions. And then social workers and doctors, engineers, sort of things.
But my passion and my interest was to be this conservationist, a before researcher and later conservationist that driven researcher driven me the conservationist.
And you know, still my community they do not like, like my, my profession because I am saving there in UE because NOLA is there anyway. But slowly it is a one side and other sides. I'm slowly convincing them, you know, one day and then hopefully one day they changed their mind, you know. And. Yeah. When like many years back, like 20 years ago, lots of the community people, my local people said to my mom, nobody need educating. Why you send your daughter to the schools? And my, my mother lots of things, these things up, you know, talking, whispering within the community. But later after my graduations and then, then that's the same local people, they say, oh, you, your daughter is doing great job. So before, oh, wow, before this. So, so, you know, it's like community like mine and that's so dynamic. So, so hopefully now they are looking me the enemy one day. They are looking me friends that I'm sure.
[00:42:01] Speaker A: And you have to, which, I mean it's so hard in our field, you, you just have to be accepting and loving regardless, like regardless of what they come to you as. Because the last thing you want to do is make enemies because then they're going to hate the snow leopards even more.
[00:42:20] Speaker B: Oh yes.
[00:42:22] Speaker A: And also too, there's another part of your journey that I would love to hear more about is our last call.
I got to meet your little one and you're a mother.
What was that like for you becoming a mother in the middle of all of this? Did you feel like you had to quit your work or was it more inspiring to keep going? How did you. Yeah. How did you balance motherhood with snow leopards?
[00:42:55] Speaker B: It was very, very hard time for me, but I balanced my dead time taking care of raising of my kids. My son and snow leopards go together and yeah, I love both snow lepers and my son. So yeah, challenging was like carrying him on the mountain but you know, I, I did lots of exercise physically to carry him on the mountain and that's what I did. And another is, you know, breastfeeding. My doctor said, yeah, it would be very good for your child, his help. You have to feed your breastfeed. I'm feeding breast milk so I have to take him with me wherever I went and yeah, and I tried to leave my son with some baby sea turbine but his health was not good when he was five years old. Oh no, five years, not old. Five years, mom. Inside my womb, his left kidney, you know, his left kidney swollen bigger and bigger and bigger.
[00:44:17] Speaker A: Oh.
[00:44:18] Speaker B: So my son doctor told me if it's bigger and bigger he is needed to surgery after the seven months. So. But luckily it's nothing so long not bigger what we expected.
So when I get.
I gave birth his nine months after surgery c sections and after two months and he had to do surgery his kidney, left kidney. So what's the reason this use is kidney docked. You know, doctor spade in narrow. So he's like urine is up and down, his flow is not good. So that's why solar. So they widened the dots and. Yeah, during that time it was very hard for me. And then, and then I carried all the things, these things, you know, clean posits and snow leopard and baby budget, all the togethers.
Yeah, I still remember, I still remember there could not be more child. This is the first and last, you know.
No, again baby. It won't meet again baby. And I told, I totally told my like husband, if you need more baby, go for another marriage. And I can do, I can give birth another baby.
[00:45:55] Speaker A: Yeah. Wow, that's a lot.
[00:45:57] Speaker B: Very hard time for me. I got anxiety also, but I balance all the things now. I am very stronger. That make me stronger and stronger.
[00:46:09] Speaker A: I mean, while Shanghai, I didn't know that. I didn't know any of that. That just like, that just made your journey even more inspiring. That and also that you brought your child with you into the mountains. That just goes to show that one, babies are very resilient, like. And two, just your ability to even do that. And then just to hear that he actually had health problems when he was born in a c section and oh my gosh, I don't, I mean, I.
Yeah, I'm quite blown away. I do not have children of my own and so I can only fathom. And I have, but I have lots of sisters, I have a gazillion nieces and nephews. And I can only imagine what that was like for you. Just like putting myself in your shoes.
I mean, wow, good for you. Like, good for you. I mean, you're even that much more of an inspiring person to know that you got through that and went through that and you're still doing snow leopard conservation. Like, you didn't give up, you didn't quit.
[00:47:18] Speaker B: Never, never give up.
[00:47:20] Speaker A: Never quit.
[00:47:21] Speaker B: Never quit.
[00:47:23] Speaker A: Oh, incredible sharing.
So, yeah, I think that as we're nearing the end here, I know that you've shared so much with us. You've shared, you know, how all of this happened, your backstory coexistence snow leopard journeys tourism. Giving back to your community.
And I always love to ask this question, especially after hearing everything that you went through. Do you have any advice or any message that you would like us to walk away from this conversation with?
[00:48:02] Speaker B: Yes.
So my message to everyone is to follow the influence and passion wherever, whenever, whatever, you know, you follow that one and you must listen your heart and your soul and mind, whatever you want, whether it's not the conservation or whether wolf conservation or maybe other professions, other top. I mean, the pack of these. And then after you, like, follow your interest and there's no other. No more barriers, you know, this is my interest. That's why I carry my baby. And wherever it's like, snow falling, it doesn't matter, you know, so whatever selling scum, it doesn't barrier my, you know, work and my, like.
Yeah. That's why I suggest Orlando give a message. Everyone, whichever field, you know, doctor, engineer, or maybe mathematician or english teacher or whatever. Follow your heart and your interest.
[00:49:15] Speaker A: Wow, that's such a great message. I could not agree more sharing. If somebody wants to get a hold of you or follow Snow leopard journeys and your work or anything, what are some of the best ways that people can do that?
[00:49:31] Speaker B: My snow leopard journey.
Oh, I forget to mention that one, like impact fund up flame. So to legally generalize the money fund to the Nepal. So I have to register nonprofit corporation as nonprofit corporation name is Snow leprosy sister nonprofit in Nepal.
So, yeah. And through the death nonprofit, we are doing the conservation Activities project. I mean, conservation project.
From my snow leopard journey, I organized the track. So the track is ten to 15% track profit. Go study conservation work through snow lab assisted and yeah. Stone lepers journey track factors really keep us to not reliable on the funding. You know, if there is like no funding. So emergency. What happened in adult. So we allocate the style, leverage profits.
[00:50:42] Speaker A: Amazing. Okay, that. That makes total sense. So that you have a. A for profit that helps fund the nonprofit. And then people can engage with the nonprofit, donate all this stuff. I love the name too. Snow leopard sister. Like, that's just so pretty. And if somebody is there a website. I know that you have snow leopard journeys, but.
[00:51:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:51:00] Speaker A: Could you actually list those? What are the links? Are there social media accounts? How can people engage with your work?
[00:51:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Dairy sources to join your websites and Instagram and Facebook.
So, yeah, whatever they need the questions and information and contact us. Yeah, will do. Reply. And I think that the store website is under construction. It will come soon.
[00:51:35] Speaker A: Wonderful. Cool. Great. Yes. And then when that's alive and available, I'll definitely share that as well. And all of those links I'll make sure in the show notes so that anybody could just go to rewild.com and find you very easy. I'll have everything right there, of course, like I said, with show notes and and photos and all kinds of fun stuff. Links to the film when it's available and then links to the snow leopard calling the one that you sent me previously.
[00:52:03] Speaker B: That's real free on video. It's not Leopard Journey Vimeo. It's a free everyone can reach out.
[00:52:10] Speaker A: Yeah, perfect. Yep, I'll have that there too. But sharing you are incredible and so inspiring and I'm so grateful to have met you. And I just have to send a shout out to Dave Johnson to thank him for introducing us cause he's such a beautiful person and I yeah, and you are the perfect voice to highlight for snow Leopard day here coming up. So again, sharing. Thank you for spending your Saturday evening with me and I can't wait to get this out.
[00:52:39] Speaker B: And thank you Brooke. And yeah, one of our smaller sport training supported by the Deb with Katie Adamson funds. And yeah, from this platform I want to thank so much the Dave Johnson and also for you. It was so lovely I think night to talk with you about the like, oh remind all my words and like overwhelming me.
Yeah and thank you bro for this platform. And yeah, and I'm so happy to share it all things through your ideology podcast.
[00:53:24] Speaker A: Awesome. Thank you.
Thank you for joining me on this wild adventure today. I hope you've been inspired by the incredible stories, insights and knowledge shared in this episode. To learn more about what you heard, be sure to check out the show
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