Sibylle trekking Kali Gandaki, Nepal
Hi, my name’s Sibylle Noras and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve been supporting snow leopard conservation for years and worked on an Earthwatch Snow Leopard conservation project high in the Himalayas of Ladakh, India. I spent about three weeks tracking a snow leopard. Sadly I never saw him/her, I’m sure she saw me. The closest I came was to find snow leopard scat (poo) – that was an exciting day!
Since my student days ( a long time ago) I’ve trekked in the Himalayas in Nepal, India and Tibet. I’m now working with some snow leopard conservation communities to help save this animal as well as support the people in its natural habitat.
Snow leopards live in one of the most extreme places and climates on earth, it is a beautiful testament to the resilience of animals. Let’s all help to give them a future in the wild.
Contact – if you have a snow leopard story or photo to share please send me an email snowleopardblog(at)gmail.com
Here’s my companion animals at home – no, not snow leopards, but very friendly and loyal Australian terriers.
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- Tashi and Tenzing with festive gear.
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- Tashi and Tenzing whispering about George, the koala, on our balcony.
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- Tashi and Tenzing watching cockies.
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- Trekking up the Kali Gandaki gorge near the Annapurnas in Nepal. Across the mountain is the region of Mustang, snow leopards are still found there.
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- My favourite thing to do on treks, head for the kitchen.
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- ICIMOD working for mountain people and habitat in Himalayas
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- Sibylle trekking Kali Gandaki, Nepal
ICIMOD working for mountain people and habitat in Himalayas
ICIMOD – The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu, Nepal. ICIMOD is a knowledge and learning centre funded by many different aid agencies from around the world.
My work with ICIMOD
I was lucky enough to work with ICIMOD a few years ago on knowledge sharing and collaboration projects serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. I met a wonderful group of dedicated people from many countries around the world, all passionate about the Himalayas. A big hearted Polish-Canadia, Zbigniew, ran the program and it was a fun time.
The Himalayas are an increasingly fragile ecosystem due to globalisation and climate change. Wild animals and the human population are impacted by this and ICIMOD helps mountain people to understand these changes and challenges, giving them tools to adapt. In the work ICIMOD do to protect the biodiversity of the Himalayas they’re also helping the snow leopard to survive.
Saving snow leopards 
Hi Sibylle,
Fantastic to meet you the other day at the Snow Leopard Sponsors Day at the Melbourne Zoo.
Well done on your blog also. I will certainly try and have a little more time to read through some of the articles. Some great photographs posted also on here.
Look forward to chatting further at some point.
Regards,
Glenn.
Hi Glenn
great to meet you too. Would love to see your pics of the cubs soon.
What a wonderful hobby you have I bet you would like to have one of these cats at home….and would if it wasnt for the food bill( tashi and Tenzing)
Hi Bettina
yes the food bill! When we visited the cubs and mum last week they were eating a chicken each for breakfast. And the grand old matriarch, Shimbu, the 20 year old girl in the enclosure next door loves goat so that’s what Howie the keeper feeds his “Shimmy” – one spoilt cat I say. Or maybe its 5 spoilt cats!
Still, they deserve it. What would the world be without snow leopards?
Hi Sibylle,
Congratulations on an excellent blog – very informative with great photos and interesting stories.
I also love the videos which show how fit, manoeuvrable and elusive the Snow Leopard is.
Well done! Keep up the good work.
Regards
Sami
PS: I like the names you have chosen for your dogs: Tenzing and Tashi 😉
Great website – Is there any chance I can get up close and personal with the leapards at Melbourne Zoo so I can take some photos and sketches. I would be happy to donate any artwork for fundraising purposes. If that is not possible can you tell me when is the best time to visit the zoo – I think I can borrow a zoom lense but it would be easier if the fence was not in the way. I’m a single mum studying art at chisholm tafe and this is the only thing I can do to help. I can send you photos of my work once I get a few computer gliches sorted out. Cheers Dawn
Hello Sibylle! Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog~ it’s lovely to know that I have reached another snow leopard fanatic for once. 🙂 You have some wonderful photos on your site, and I’m going to enjoy looking through them for some time to come! You have a very noble profession, conservation. Wish I could come visit those snow leopard cubs in Australia…
Hello Sibylle! Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog~ it's lovely to know that I have reached another snow leopard fanatic for once. 🙂 You have some wonderful photos on your site, and I'm going to enjoy looking through them for some time to come! You have a very noble profession, conservation. Wish I could come visit those snow leopard cubs in Australia…; Hello Sibylle! Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog~ it's lovely to know that I have reached another snow leopard fanatic for once. 🙂 You have some wonderful photos on your site, and I'm going to enjoy looking through them for some time to come! You have a very noble profession, conservation. Wish I could come visit those snow leopard cubs in Australia…;;
Sibylle, great blog! I was wondering if you could drop me a line please about something Snow Leopard related…
GREAT blog! Good work! I admire what you’re doing!
Hi Sibylle,
I have been contacted by Biosphere Expeditions as you want to chat to Australians who have been on their snow leopard expedition. If you want to get in touch with me I am more than happy to have a chat with you. Hope to hear from you soon.
hi
I love snow leopards ,they are beautiful.
Hi Sybille,
Snow leopards are such beautiful animals and I hope the mountains are never turned into stones of silence.
Cheers, Clare.
Hi Sibylle,
I am a journalism student on the Gold Coast, Australia. I am really interested in finding out more information about the conservation of snow leopards particularly in the Altai Mountains in Russia, as well as the conservation led expeditions. If you are able to answer some questions for me please send me an email.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Regards,
Dana
Hi Sibylle, What a wonderful site. Where do you live? I noticed you were at Melbourne Zoo in March 2009. I am live in Melbourne!! If you are out this way again please let me know.
What wonderful work you are doing and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
All the best
Sybelle
Hi again,
You do live in Melbourne!!! I would love to catch up with you one day 🙂 Let me know
All the best
Sybelle
Hello,
I just spent some time trying to find snow leopards in Konar and Nuristan Provinces of Afghanistan. I heard a few jokes about how their claws shoot shrapnel or if you eat one you become more virile. One man told me how he heard of a cub for sale in his village, but not when I was there. Anyway the big highlight was when my friend stayed up late one night and caught a snow leopard in a night vision camera. I’m not sure what to do with it though – would you like to share the movie with people? It’s only about two minutes long.
Thanks, Carl
It’s wonderful to put a face to your name. This is a fascinating collection of information. Your students page is particularly impressive. I’ll forward your URL to a few school teachers I’m in touch with. Thanks for introducing me to your blog. Keep writing. Janet (from WOW)
thanks for your kind comments, janet. glad you dropped by. Happy writing to you too, and good luck with your book.
S
Dear Sibylle
With great interest I have got acquainted with your web site about snow leopard. This is felt that you love the nature and these amazing cat! My name is Oleg Loginov. I live in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. I’m zoologist, formerly employed at Alma-Ata zoo and the founder and director of the Snow Leopard Fund (SLF) now. In November 2009 we are registered in Kazakhstan the Snow Leopard Fund. Recently, our public fund became full member of the Snow Leopard Network.
In the January 11 this year my friend Renat Minibaev from Tekeli (Almaty region, Kazakhstan) has met the snow leopard on the Dzhungarsky Alatau and taken pictures it with 1,5 metres literally! Regrettably at this very important region no nature reservations. We co-operate with the State’s Forest and Nature Conservation Committee and at present goes the process to organizations big National Park in Dzhungarsky Alatau in the east part of this range. We also begin the work on creation the Snow Leopard Conservation’ National Strategy in Kazakhstan, need the creation of which is obvious.
Regrettably we get not financing until and so we need for support. If you will be able us in this help we you shall very grateful for this.
Hope on cooperation with you. Look forward to hear from you soon.
Sincerely, Oleg V. Loginov
Director of the Snow Leopard Fund
Hi Sibylle,
I am a teacher by profession and of all the cats snow leopard is my favourite-being a mountain dweller I love the mountain cat. I paint and write poems on nature and wildlife though I am not trained but I am very passionate.To see snow leopard in the wild is extremely difficult and some naturalists have spent life time following in the footsteps of this magnificent cat. I have visited one of the Zoos in NorthEast India several times, almost eight times, just for one single reason-to see my favourite cat, the snow leopard.I am happy there are people like you who have the means and are ready to champion the cause of this beautiful cat.
I would love to share some of the poems and the paintings that I have done on snow leopard.
My living room is adorned with two snow leopard paintings besides others too. I keep a low profile otherwise.
I am happy to share my thoughts with like- minded people like you.
All the best with your great compassionate wotk.
Karma- Paro,Bhutan