QINGHAI SNOW LEOPARD EXPEDITION SEPTEMBER 2019

PART 4

Another clear morning the following day but high cirrus clouds formed to the southeast indicating a weather system was moving in. We have been blessed with two days of clear weather. Hiked to the west across the grasslands and set up the scopes, searching again for any indicators of the presence of the same snow leopard or another individual in a possibly overlapping range. They are extremely difficult to find but this seems to stay close by and hopefully after a few days ready to feed again. Many caves throughout the limestone/chert mountains. Lots of burrows and marmots in this location. are amazingly industrious and alert, and as I compared myself with hours of sitting glassing for snow leopard next to a pika colony, I reflected I have less in common being alert as I age. We are both diurnal and acute observers of behavior. The pikas in this colony continually monitored whether or not I am dangerous and a threat to them, and for hours I witnessed their constant activity in the colony. The Plateau pika Ochotona curzoniae, called abra by Tibetans are plains-dwelling relatives of rabbits, and here are extremely abundant at their favored sites. The name curzoniae was given in honor of Lord Curzon, viceroy of India, who instigated the invasion of Tibet in 1904 by the Young-Husband expeditionary force. The pika Ochotona princeps is equally industrious in the north Cascades of my home, and all species are wonderfully charming in appearance. The plateau pika has silky, light brown fur with whitish undersides, small and rounded ears, bulging black eyes, all packaged in a chunky, tailless body that weighs about four to six ounces (avg 142 grams). Though small in body, the pika has an outsized influence in maintaining the ecological integrity of the rangelands on the Tibetan Plateau. The Plateau Pika, along with other native burrowing mammals that includes marmots represent keystone species for biodiversity and function as ecosystem engineers on the Tibetan Plateau. Plateau pikas occupy open alpine meadow and live in adjacent social family groups, each of which occupies a large warren of burrows. Burrow densities may range from 120 to 500/ha to as high as 2000 /ha. The high plateau meadows support few trees for nesting , thus most endemic plateau birds (e.g., snow Montifringilla spp and the Tibetan ground- Pseudopodoces humilis breed almost exclusively in pika burrows). There has been a massive government program for the past several decades poisoning plateau pika with bacteria that targets them. In the past the growing population of pika, gerbils, mice and other have been blamed for degradation of the landscape because they burrow into the soil and eat grass roots. However recent research indicates the high density of concentrated domestic herds in specific areas have been the dominant cause of alpine grassland degradation in Qinghai. Researchers found that the population loss of the plateau pika significantly reduces the infiltration rate of water. Despite being the most abundant native mammal in the region, the understanding of the potential role plateau pikas play in ecosystem processes, including their ecohydrological impact on this ecosystem, is limited. In the SNNR hydrologic system where the plateau pika occurs, precipitation accounts an average of 40 % of annual flow and 100 % of dry season flow of downstream rivers. Infiltration, runoff, and groundwater storage in this headwaters ecosystem can potentially impact downstream ecosystems and communities, including those of the 1.4 billion people living down river. It is thought that the burrowing activity of pikas might act to increase the infiltration rate of water, particularly during summer monsoonal storms, thus providing a critical ecosystem service in this headwaters ecosystem. Impacts of poisoning have been documented, demonstrating that plant species richness is higher in pika colonies compared with poisoned sites. When pikas are poisoned their burrows collapse and species dependent upon their burrows for nesting disappear or their populations are greatly reduced. Additionally, pikas are the main source of food of nearly every mammalian and avian carnivore. As the carnivore guild suffers in areas where pikas have been poisoned, there have been concomitant knock-on effects to human populations.

The Tibetan marmot also digs burrows that researchers documented as assisting rain absorption in the grasslands during the summer monsoon. Marmots are also found in the alpine meadows of my home Washington State, but unlike the whistling sentinels of the north cascades, these marmots chirp, not whistle. We had seen earlier a fox approach a marmot above the ground in a colony, testing to see if was potential prey. Instead the aggressive marmot chased the fox a short distance, then returned to its den. But the persistant fox came back again to investigate, and the marmot fiercely charged and chased the marmot off. Marmots are territorial, and to survive the long winters (they do not hibernate), must gather an immense amount of forage, grass and sedges to dry, then store in their burrows for the cold winter. Saw a Mother wolf with three cubs following along a grass terrace by the river, and she stopped searching for food. Tsebtrim spotted a pair of Tibetan snowcocks, small pheasant and ground- nesting birds that breed in the mountain slopes. I continued hiking further from the group up the ridge a golden eagle nest along the side of the rock cliff facing the river. Amazing life here with large herds of bahral sheep grazing above and around me. I observed a small group closest to me immediately above on a green pasture that seemed agitated, facing the ridge above. They kept alert, indicating the possibility of a predator, a snow leopard before disappearing over a ridge in the opposite direction. Then nearby I saw Himalayan marmots below all facing up hill. But saw no predator. One of the small mammals I haven’t seen but must have been nocturnal is the Mongolian five-toed gerbil, a petite mammals with long ears, back hind jumping legs, and a long furry tail with a black fur bob at the end. It can jump to up to 2 m and has simple burrow. Solitary.

Spent the afternoon continuing to glass and search west of camp, as a huge storm was approaching from the west. Went to bed while it began to sleet, and listened to it patter on the tent. It would be snowing only a hundred meters above us.

September 23 Monday Woke up to fresh snow that had fallen only a hundred feet in elevation above us, dramatically changed the landscape. Ice on the tent. Uneventful morning glassing for any sign of a snow leopard or a kill. Saw fewer sheep in small groups which were lower down but grazing in the

Bahral (blue sheep), primary pray of the snow leopard are very abundant in Sanjianyuan NR snow dusted meadows. After lunch had an amazing afternoon where the sun came out and it was partly cloudy. We hiked up the narrow canyon road and saw an abundance of blue sheep on sloping meadows below rock spires and formations on both sides, with many close to film. Encountered a Himalayan marmot laying on a rock keeping an eye on us. It then proceeded to walk to a patch of grass and gathered as much as its mouth could hold. Hiked up a small side canyon where we found high on the cliff in a cave a single unfledged vulture. One of the adults came in to feed it. It was a wonderful secluded narrow valley, and I followed a small stream leading through sedges and blue gentians surrounded by steep grass slopes and rock spires. Many groups of Bahral sheep all around me, and I was inspired by this location and ascended by myself to get a view of the surrounding mountains. I really was drawn to this dramatic area.

The finale for the day was a beautiful sunset as we hiked back to camp, and as I was first to discover that in our absence, about 70 white-lipped deer had moved in to graze right above our camp. They have excellent eyesight and immediately caught our presence coming up the slope, but were not afraid of us. Found only in the high altitudes of the eastern area of Tibet in both alpine grasslands, willow and rhododendron scrub, and coniferous forests, this beautiful creature is also known as Thorold's deer Cervus albirostris, the latter latin name describing the unique white fur around the muzzle and lips. It also was once one of the rarest species of deer in Asia. In Chinese mandarin it is known as the Baichunlu, which translates to “white lips”, which is where the name originates. One of the largest species of deer in Southeast Asia, Thorold’s Deer was extensively hunted for its wide antlers, which can measure up to 110 cm (43 inches) across each individual antler. The antlers are also unique in that all the tines are on the same plane, unlike European and North American wapiti. It is believed that there are only around 7,000 adult Thorold’s deer remaining in the world, in scattered populations in Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Gansu, with a few in northwest Yunnan. Thorold's deer has a number of physical and physiological adaptations to its high altitude environment. They are able to navigate steep mountainous terrain to escape predators with their short legs and broad, rounded split hooves like those of cattle. Their nasal cavities are unusually large, allowing them to breathe at high altitude cold, rarified air. The high number of red blood cells in this species are greater and smaller than average for similarly sized mammals, increasing its physiological ability to take up limited amounts of oxygen.

The White-lipped Deer is designed to endure long, cold winters equipped with a coarse and stiff coat of hollow hairs (like those of the Bharal, or Blue Sheep) that provide an insulating layer of warm air. The coat lengthens in the winter, and interestingly the hair in the center of the White-lipped Deer’s back grows in the direction opposite to the surrounding hairs, giving an appearance of a saddle. The light-colored band near the tips of the White-lipped Deer’s dark hairs gives the animal a grizzled appearance.

We were here during the beginning of the rutting season that takes place from September to November. Males and females are forming mixed herds that consist of an average of 50 to 300 deer with one or more stags. Rutting stags compete with each other for access to females and try to collect harems, and like the Olympic elk of my home, males lose weight expending large White-lipped deer next to our camp. They are Asian wapiti related closely to North American elk. amounts of energy fighting with each other.

Watched the sunset light up the clouds around us, then the mountains into a contrast of deep orange and mauve, red, against blue and green backdrop of mountains. I then knew why this vast landscape was named Qinghai: the blue-green sea.

September 24 Tuesday Left to drive west this morning, and cold, partly cloudy. Tsebtrim shared about the Tibetan lynx, which we haven’t seen, and which is dependent upon the woolly hare for prey. We didn’t see hare yet as it is mostly nocturnal, and I wondered if they go through the 8-11 year cycles of abundance and crashes like the Canada Lynx and snowshoe hare of North America. TheTibetan woolly hare is found at altitudes ranging from 2500 to 5400 m (8202 ft -17,700) and have the widest elevational range of any leporid. They are able to survive in dry , including grasslands and steep mountain slopes with a natural range from northern Nepal and Sikkim India to western and central China, including Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan. Their preferred habitat is primarily high-altitude grasslands including alpine and shrubby meadows, and upland cold deserts, but also found in coniferous or mixed montane woodland between 3,000 to 5,300 m (9,800 to 17,400 ft). The woolly hare is shy and usually solitary, and is mostly nocturnal, feeding on grasses and herbs returning regularly at night to the same foraging areas. During the day the will seek out shelter. The breeding season starts in April, and females will produce two litters of between four and six young being each year, a potential of rapid population increases. Interestingly they are intermediate hosts of the cyclophyllid tapeworm along with pikas and voles, infecting the sandfox, wolves and bear.

Drove along the Mekong River for 10 km (6 miles) on a grass track that led to several nomad camps, stopping in intervals glassing for any sign of a fresh kill or presence of a resting snow leopard on the mountain ridges above. Sheep on the grass slopes, and found a Pallas cat sitting and staring at us above along the ridge. Wonderful to see one and studied its unusual flat face surrounded by disc shaped. It finally moved and disappeared behing the ridge. Came across almost 90 vultures that temporarily flew off on our approach. They were feeding on a carcass of a young yak. Not sure what killed it but most likely a snow leopard.

Visited the yak nomad family that Tsebtrim had befriended that past few years, and were immediately welcomed into their insulated tent and offered hot yak tea. The inside of the tent was filled with colourful quilts and some furniture. Tsebtrim conversed with the elderly owners of the campsite we were in Tibetan, and I stepped outside to observe their teen daughter milk several female . Her Brother was herding the males by the river on a motorcycle. Back in their tent I studied their Tibetan stove, designed much like Tsebtrim’s in Yushu, but smaller, a unique design with a steel flat base and a connecting cylindrical top with a stove pipe leading vertically out of the tent. They burned dried yak dung as fuel. The youngest daughter was 10 with an infectious smile and curiosity, wonderful dark skin and long double braided hair; her older brother was 18. They lived in the two tents during the summer, and then overwinter in the basic block shelters we were camped in for their winter. Tsebtrim informed me that there is usually only about 6 inches or less of snow at the most but very cold.

They supported themselves entirely by yak products: wool for clothing, meat, milk made into yogurt and yak butter. If they need money for anything they sell off as few yaks as possible to fund hospital costs when sick, and buy motorcycles and a truck or vehicle. They also supplement their income mainly with caterpillar fungus. I could see it was a very hard life, but they love their freedom and the beauty of the mountains around them. They don’t want to move to the city. The Chinese government is encouraging relocation of nomads to villages giving them small block housing in a program to reverse the overgrazing of the SNNR by yak herds. But they are not educated or skilled in any profession that would enable them to make a living. Difficult situation.

We returned to camp, and walked up the same canyon we had been to before in the late afternoon, enjoying the sun threading through the narrow cliffs. I passed the cave above us where we saw the now fledged vulture and headed further upstream deeper into the canyon. Spotted some blue sheep, and found several old sheep skeletons by the stream at the base of the canyon walls along the yak trail that led into it. The group stayed and glassed a while, while I walked further upstream in the late evening sunlight and had a beautiful time with the lord. The rocks reflected an ivory hue in contrast to the metallic green pastures, and enjoyed the murmuring of the small stream I followed up the valley. It reminded me of some of the areas I have been in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, hiking in meadows that were strange and different than home. Came back so refreshed and saw many blue sheep and marmots on the way back.

Lammegeur vultures, Tibetan vultures on snow leopard kill : Above: Pallas cat (K ross), snowcock, musk deer, Tibetan gazelle

Gentians and Asteracease