This week has been a great introduction to Nepalese life in the mountains.  I have been at 2000m asl in Sikles village, which is nestled under Annapurna at 7950m high. In the local area are Himalayan Black Bears (photo evidence attached), Clouded Leopard and Common Leopard, a wealth of birds and snakes. The village lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, which is a protected area of some 7000km2. This includes a large part of the Annapurna range high Himalayas, home to the endangered Snow Leopard. 

I have connected with ACAP staff and went out for a guided orchid walk and my own jungle day treks. Major issues in the area are the push for hydroelectric power for the national grid, waste management from mainly domestic tourism and unregulated development of public lands. Poaching and poisoning of bears and leopards also still occur. 

I took the main ACAP conservation officer out bat recording tonight, and we had 3 different species, likely Pipistrelle, Myotis and Nytcalus species. ACAP are also working on climate change and education with a standard textbook on nature conservation present in the local school.

During a botanical walk, I also learned about many Nepalese medicinal plants in ethnobotany, so important to rural communities without access to mainstream medicine.

Sikles is also the centre of Gurung culture, a distinctive racial grouping of peoples that originated from NE China and settled the mountains and hill districts in this area.