It was the evening of May 10. In her home in Leyna village, 24-year-old Ugyen Lham was feeding her baby when her phone, resting beside her, buzzed. A WhatsApp message had come in informing her that a Tibetan wolf had attacked a young calf in a nearby area the previous night. The report had reached her, as many such messages now do. After reviewing the image, she promptly forwarded it to the forest officer at the Paro Divisional Forest Office.

^{@Yangchen C Rinzin/ WWF-Bhutan}

For Ugyen Lham, such moments have become part of daily life. As the secretary of the Snow Leopard Women’s Group in Nubri under Tsento Gewog, she has taken on the role of a community link in responding to human–wildlife conflict (HWC). What was once an occasional concern is now a stream of reports, making her phone not just a personal device, but a channel for timely information and action.

In Nubri, there is a growing trend of livestock depredation linked to an expanding presence of predators such as Tibetan wolves, himalayan black bears, and dholes, alongside longstanding threats from snow leopards. Calves are the primary targets, highlighting increasing pressure on pastoral livelihoods. While species such as blue sheep and musk deer inhabit the same landscape, they are not directly associated with conflict. However, villagers have recently begun reporting crop damage caused by marmots, indicating a widening scope of human–wildlife coexistence.

@Yangchen C Rinzin/ WWF-Bhutan

This is why a women-led group such as Snow Leopard Women's Tshogpa (Group) has become a major component of the HWC intervention initiative with support from WWF-Bhutan, which involves empowering local groups. As Ugyen showed her phone, she explained her first job is to document what has happened.

“Our role has become important where we collect accurate information about the incident and share it with forest officers. This has helped officials know the exact details of where the yak was killed, or if the yak was injured, and if there is a possible threat,” Ugyen added.

How do they do it? A 12-member response group have been trained in wildlife reporting systems, including the use of the NoteCam application. Ugyen said that this tool enables precise documentation of incidents, automatically capturing location and altitude data. Villagers share information with the group, which is then communicated to forestry officials, improving immediate response and record-keeping.

The decision to focus on women was shaped by everyday village realities. Women are often the ones at home or working in nearby fields, while men tend to spend long periods in pasturelands or travel beyond the village. Recognising this, the initiative sought to place women at the centre, not only to strengthen reporting systems but also to create space for their participation and leadership. Such an initiative was to both empower women and ensure that information reaches concerned officials on time. Forming a women’s group has become a practical and meaningful solutionw here it has helped forest officials make the reporting of HWC more timely and effective.

Chief forestry officer (CFO) Namgay with Paro division shared that with active participation from these women, improved reporting has already shown results. “There was little documentation of such incidents before, but now at least two to three cases are reported each month,” he added. Earlier compensation schemes for livestock loss were suspended after proving ineffective. Many herders struggled to provide timely evidence, especially when incidents occurred in remote pasturelands that not only delayed reporting but also prevented them from making a claim.

Although the App system is primarily used for data collection at present, it has helped reduce retaliatory killings and is believed to inform more effective future interventions/mitigation strategies.

Community engagement has also played a vital role in conservation efforts, such as when residents were educated about the ecological importance of the snow leopard, locally known as sagay. This awareness encouraged villagers, particularly women, to form this current tshogpa.  This has also led to significantly improved community participation and the importance of local leadership in managing HWC.

Not only has this initiative improved reporting, but it has also provided communities with the opportunity to observe and document other species, potentially leading to new discoveries. This process helps deepen their understanding of biodiversity and encourages greater vigilance.

It also enables the forest office to stay updated on any newly identified species in Nubri.

Life that runs on four legs VS snow leopard

In Nubri, yak herding is not just a livelihood. It is life itself. Everything comes from the yak—milk, butter, dried cheese, wool, transport, even fuel. Herders depend on the dried yak dung to keep themselves warm where there is no firewood available. It was a simple act, but it carried so much meaning. This is what they have. And this is what they protect.

@Yangchen C Rinzin/ WWF-Bhutan

As Ap Rinchen, a herder, told me, “Our livelihood runs on four legs. With increasing HWC, it has become imperative that such a women’s group continue to exist.” Often called the “ghost of the mountains,” the elusive snow leopard is being seen more frequently in Nubri in recent years, affecting the livestock.

Another herder, 42-year-old Sangay Zam and also a member of the group, said that livestock losses directly affect their income. “When our yaks are attacked, it becomes difficult for us to sustain our earnings,” she said. On average, a household earns about Nu 100,000 annually from yak-based production, meaning any loss of animals leads to a significant drop in income.

In response, CFO Namgay said, with support from WWF-Bhutan and WWF Korea, projects such as the Edge Species Protection Project in Nubri have distributed both portable and permanent mesh corral fencing designed to protect vulnerable yak calves from predation. Solar-powered electric fencing has also been installed, serving a dual purpose, protecting both livestock and human settlements.

During seasonal migration to pasturelands, households now enclose their homes within electric fencing to deter wildlife intrusion, especially from the Himalayan bear.

Yangzom, 50, a herder from Khagona village, emphasised the importance of these measures, particularly in preventing bear incursions. “Without fencing, when we return, our homes would be in disarray and all stored rations gone,” she said. In addition, community members have been equipped with high-powered torches to patrol their livestock and herding camp tent.

Most households depend heavily on yak herding, with an average of more than 30 animals per household. Sangay Zam noted that while interventions such as corral fencing have brought relief, access remains limited. “These measures have helped my neighbour who received corral fencing, but I hope that at least four other households, who have not yet received it, can also benefit,” she said.

These interventions are gradually helping communities cope with human–wildlife conflict. Interestingly, herders in Nubri do not view snow leopards as aggressive and express little resentment toward them. Instead, they continue their lives in the mountains with a sense of acceptance. When asked, many spoke positively, emphasising the importance of conserving snow leopards. Most of the herders believed that without the presence of the snow leopard, such support would not have reached their community.

Ap Rinchen said, “We know we lose our yaks to wild animals, including snow leopards. But because of them, we have also received support in the form of festivals, fencing, even torches for night use. We have never hated the snow leopard.”

Meanwhile, for Ugyen Lham and other members, being part of the programme has brought a sense of ownership and involvement that was missing before. “We never paid much attention to such programmes earlier, but now that we are part of it, we are actively involved in the work and interventions,” she said.

Through their participation, the women have also gained a deeper understanding of the snow leopard’s ecology-learning to identify signs such as scat, tracks, and behavioural traits, as well as its role in the ecosystem. Today, these women have become a vital part of the intervention, helping ensure that mitigation measures reach their villages and that herders can continue to sustain their livelihoods.

Contributed by Yangchen C Rinzin
Comms, WWF-Bhuta

This article was published in Kuenselonline.com