Welcome, friends, to Part Two of the ‘Nepal: Coexisting with Giants’ series. I’m your host, Brooke Mitchell-Norman, conservation biologist and world traveler.
Is there someone you’ve met along your journey that has had a profound impact on your way of thinking? Where did you meet this person? What did you learn and how is their wisdom still influencing your view of the world?
Today’s guest, Jack Kinross, was that for me and more. Jack and I met in Bardia National Park, a land known for its remote locale and infamous tiger population. Located in the terai, this area is characterized by grasslands, sal forests, and marshes. Picture Disney’s Jungle Book and BBC’s Planet Earth II Grasslands Episode, and you’ll have a good idea of what the environment is like.
Hailing from New Zealand, Jack is a conservationist and leopard expert working to combat the illegal wildlife trade. He first came to Nepal 20 years ago to tackle the out-of-control leopard poaching crisis happening throughout Asia and subsequently fell in love with the country.
Jack is very open and not scared to speak his mind. We talk about a wide range of topics, some of which are dark, but the truth of what’s really going on.
If you’re easily offended or talking about controversial topics makes you uncomfortable, then this might not be the show for you. But if you’re open-minded and want to hear the raw reality of living with dangerous animals, then you’ll want to stay right here. Absolutely no judgment either way.
As you’ll soon hear, the format of this episode is a little different. Jack mentions several events, stories, and concepts that might be hard to follow without any background knowledge. So, I interject a few times to give you further information and help piece together the bigger picture.
Okay, you’re probably now very curious to hear what Jack talks about and I’ll open the flood gates now.
Here, friends, is my conversation with Jack Kinross in Bardia National Park, Nepal: