Children take part in Snow Leopard Conservation Camp in Mustang
On the morning of August 30, 2025, Khusi Sunar was excited and delighted.
She left home early in the morning to take part in the Snow Leopard Scout’s Monitoring Camp, held around Khinga Village and Muktinath Temple premises in lower Mustang, the snow leopard’s habitats.
She was wondering how the event would be and who would accompany her. Only Khusi and two of her schoolmates from Janakalyan Basic School, Syang got an opportunity to participate in the camp. Along with her, 42 people were taking part in the two-day residential camp including school students, teachers, rural municipality officials, ward chairperson, journalists, field rangers, scientists, locals and conservationists.
Such camps have been held in Mustang since 2012 to familiarize local students with snow leopard habitats, monitoring techniques and tools, and to help them identify the snow leopard’s prey, species blue sheep.
Khusi joined the art, face and stone painting sessions with the group where the trainer Sweta taught them how to create symbolic sketches of the snow leopard, its prey, and habitat. “I am passionate about sketching, so I enjoyed the session”, she recalls, “I never imagined that a sketch could focus on just one body part of an animal too. For example, I drew only the tail, while one of the group members drew the snow leopard’s head, body, and tail—and he won first prize.”
In any kind of conservation field programs, such an initiative engages local children, nurture their artistic talent, express their feelings for nature, and promote coexistence and the message reaches the community.
During the art session, attended mainly by eight students of her age from grades 6, 7, and 8 of six schools of lower Mustang, Khusi was surprised to see one adult participant joining the group, eager to learn sketching. “He was a high-altitude health technician from the Baragung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality,” recalls Khusi. “Later, he sketched a group of snow leopards and was very happy to be with us.”
Among the students was Kittu Thakali, a bright and confident seventh grader from Janahit Secondary School, Jomsom, who eagerly participated in the art session. When I asked her how she found the camp, she smiled and proudly showed me her painted stone with mountain and blue sheep, the main prey of snow leopard in the campsite. Her artwork reflected what she had learned about the snow leopard and its mountain home.
Kittu’s mother Laxmi shared that she was so happy that Kittu learned new things from the camp. “I hope Kittu will continue learning about conservation”, she says. Out of thirty-two students in her class, Kittu was selected to attend the camp because of her confidence and the essay she wrote about the snow leopard that impressed her teacher.
“Art is one of the hobbies that children truly enjoy”, says Sweta, “Engaging them through their hobbies helps them remember for a long time”.
Sweta feels that such camp leaves a lasting impression, reinforcing the importance of conservation. Through art, they can express what they know about snow leopards, their habitat, prey, and more. “Most importantly,” she says, “Children love nature and color”.
The two-day camp left a lasting impression on everyone, especially children like Khusi and Kittu, who knew that learning about snow leopards could be both fun and creative. Beyond sketches and colors, the camp fostered connection—between students, adults, and nature—and reminded all participants that conservation is a shared journey, where everyone, young or old, rangers or citizen scientists, community people or conservationists can contribute.
(Anil leads the Community-Based Snow Leopard ConservationProject in the Nepal’s Himalaya)
