The Leopard and the Spotters: Snow Leopard Tales from the Himalayas

Dr. Orton tracks the legend of the snow leopard in Himalayan folklore and its transformation from an inebriated antagonist into a welcome neighbour.

Snow leopards enjoy drinking blood to get drunk.

At least, so I was told for years on my fieldwork trips to the high-altitude desert of Spiti in the Indian Himalayas. Elusive, endangered and almost impossible to see in the wild, the snow leopard is the subject of many Himalayan legends, but these stories of snow leopards drinking blood to get drunk are among the most perplexing. Recently, narratives surrounding the snow leopard have been changing, and I made it my mission to track these tales of the apex predator from the world’s highest places.

On Blood

Over and over again, I would hear the same account of snow leopards: “Snow leopards enjoy drinking blood to get drunk…When a snow leopard hunts, he drinks the blood [of his prey] as humans drink alcohol.”

There used to be a stuffed snow leopard in the forbidden prayer hall at Komic monastery: one of the monks there told me that the leopard got into the barn, killed the animals and started drinking the blood to become drunk. Biologist friends have speculated that perhaps these accounts stem from the fact that a snow leopard kill does involve a lot more blood when the animal preys upon domestic livestock and the leopard will not be able to eat a lot of meat.

In my own conversations with residents, people noted that the snow leopards kills more when its prey is domestic, giving rise to the perception that they only drink the blood in this case. When its prey is a wild animal, it has to work harder; it has to kill just one animal and eat the meat.

The issue of snow leopards attacking domestic animals is a topical one. Snow leopards’ main prey are ibex and blue sheep, but due to habitat degradation that diminishes wild prey, snow leopards sometimes attack livestock. This led to clashes with local herders, who have previously killed the leopards to protect their income.

It’s not all bad news, though, as conservation organisations have worked with locals to improve relations with the snow leopard. It is common now to speak to residents whose livestock has been predated, but who value the snow leopard as a part of Spiti’s heritage.

The Snow Leopard in Tibetan Buddhism

Spiti, like much of the Himalayas, is heavily influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. There are stories of the saint and poet Milarepa, who was said to be able to transform into a snow leopard. A film about Milarepa was shot in the stunning landscape of Spiti in 2006, and the Dalai Lama is said to have approved of the script.

In his Song of the Snow Ranges, Milarepa withdraws to Lashi Snow Mountain, and no-one hears from him for six months. His disciples think that Milarepa has died, and go to seek his corpse. Seeing a snow leopard in the distance, they think that it has killed him until they see human footprints beside the leopard’s tracks. When they find Milarepa, he tells them that he was the leopard.

While some Buddhist scholars say that the Milarepa transformation story represents the ‘taming’ of nature and of the mind, some of my interviewees in Spiti explained the transformation as being due to the fact that Milarepa has never harmed anyone, so every sentient being is close to him.

The Snow Leopard and the Spotters

To see a snow leopard in the wild is an elusive dream for many visitors, and simply hiking in the Himalayas is not enough to guarantee a sighting. This has given rise to the phenomenon of “spotters”, local residents who go out to look for snow leopards in order to guide tourists’ experience. Spotters track individual snow leopards then call the prospective tourists in order to reduce tourist’s time in the snow.

Whereas the snow leopard used to be the enemy, now it is a big source of income to local people. This apex predator is now also seen as both an economic asset and a valuable part of Spiti’s natural heritage.

While the local caricature of the intoxicated, blood-drinking snow leopard remains, this apex predator is now also seen as both an economic asset and a valuable part of Spiti’s natural heritage.

Find Out More

To learn more about Dr. Orton’s research in the Himalayas, click the link to read her blog posts in our People and wildlife in South Asia series! There are also academic lectures on Dr. Orton’s fieldwork in Berlin and the Himalayas on our Research Page.

If you’re interested in tutorials with Dr. Orton, she offers online, one-on-one tutorials that are based around your learning or research needs. This ranges from ad hoc tutorials to gain an understanding of the academic literature, research proposal feedback and development, or regular, ongoing support.

To find out more about the anthropology and folklore of the Himalayas, take a look at our Anthropology courses on Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Himalayan Folklore and Religion of the Himalayas. Our interdisciplinary course on Culture and Conservation will give you an insight into the link between wildlife and anthropology. You can also learn more about Dr. Orton’s work in the Himalayas on our Research page or in her blog post Of Mountains, Wishes and Hidden Places.

Our courses are templates of possible routes of study and can be combined, adapted, or designed from scratch to suit your interests and goals. Dr. Orton will work with you to design a course of private tutorials tailored to your needs, ability and schedule – whether you are undertaking your own research for an independent project, writing a book or simply have a personal interest. Click the link to find out what it’s like to work with her!

Finally, if you are interested in undertaking your own fieldwork, take a look at our Research page. Contact us to find out more!

Undertake Your Own Research Project in Anthropology and Religious Studies

 

Working on your own independent research project needn’t be a lonely task: Dr. Orton works with other independent scholars on projects in conservation and the humanities. Contact us for a chat with her.

If you’re not ready to reach out yet, follow our research methods series on this blog for more ideas! Dr. Orton has written posts on the importance of independent research and how to get started with building your own approach to ethical, people-centred fieldwork.

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