By Aaron Wirsing (with Shannon Kachel)
Earlier this month, I joined Shannon Kachel in Kyrgyzstan for a couple of weeks of field research. Working in collaboration with Panthera and the local managers of the Sarychat-Ertash Reserve in the Tian Chan Mountains, Shannon is exploring interactions between snow leopards, wolves, and their shared prey (Argali and Ibex). During my stay, we did not capture and collar any snow leopards, which are notoriously elusive, but I was left with indelible memories of the region's beautiful alpine scenery, not to mention the bumps and bruises to show for some truly challenging field work at 3000 m (10,000 feet).
 Top: Winded after trekking up to a snow leopard trapping site (roughly 11000 ft). Right: Shannon puts the finishing touches on a snare. |  |
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