“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

These words by Robert Frost were all I could think of as our four-wheel-drive jeep rumbled towards Naltar Valley along a rugged landscape dominated by towering hills and steep slopes.

There was no visible path or trail to guide us through the difficult and uncertain terrain, so we had to rely on the instincts of the local driver of our Prado. Each step forward demanded careful consideration as the hilly track presented a constant barrage of obstacles at every turn. The terrain there is uneven, filled with loose rocks, thick vegetation and treacherous gullies.

Naltar is known for being the oldest ski resort of Pakistan, though it has, in recent times, been eclipsed by the more popular Malam Jabba ski resort. The distance from Hunza to Naltar Valley is only 43 kilometres, but the non-existent, bumpy road made it a much longer ride.

Upon reaching Naltar, my teenage children, Eshal and Sarim, were very excited to visit the snow leopard sanctuary there. So, the next morning, a visit to see Lovely, a rescued snow leopard, was set-up.

Deep in the heart of Naltar Valley lives a lonely snow leopard who is one of just, at best, 400 snow leopards left in Pakistan today

The kids woke up very early and I could sense the exhilaration in their voices. The sun was just rising, casting a golden glow on the adjoining mountains, while the scent of apricots and cherries in the air promised another adventure.

On reaching the small, scenic village of Nomal, we had to climb aboard a four-by-four jeep to proceed ahead. They were charging around Rs15,000 for each jeep, which seemed a tad exorbitant at the time, but the journey from there on was worth the price.

As we ventured further, the path seemed to disappear entirely, giving way to a trackless mass of sand, small stone and large boulders. The Naltar River flowed alongside us, its glimmering waters reflecting the sunlight and adding a touch of serenity to the wild surroundings.

The jeep had to force its way through some of the powerful streams flowing in this area since that was the only way to reach our destination. Fortunately, Sarim and Eshal’s constant light chattering regarding the rich wildlife present in Gilgit-Baltistan made me concentrate less on the track and more on the details they were sharing.

After stopping briefly at an under-construction skiing spot, we eventually reached the anticipated terminus — the snow leopard sanctuary.

“I wish we could meet Ghulam Rasool,” muttered Sarim, referring to the old caretaker of the sanctuary, as he jumped out from the backseat of the jeep. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” responded Eshal, much to my astonishment.

‘Aren’t you guys here to see Lovely?’ I thought to myself. But before I could suggest anything, my children bounded ahead of me, chattering busily with the guide. The 20-25 minute trek that followed was steep, so only those who dared to venture further joined our little group.

The track had a stone wall to its right but, as we moved ahead, the wall gave way to a very steep gulch, where any misstep could have been fatal. The path was mildly obstructed by small gushing streams. As we were making our way up, a bearded man in his sixties suddenly emerged out of nowhere.

“Ghulam Rasool!” exclaimed my son as he embraced the old man, having been deeply affected by his research on how Rasool has protected snow leopards over the years. The affection was mutual. Rasool showered the children with love and joined us on our journey to meet Lovely. Soon, we found ourselves on even ground. To our left was a small steep hill, 40 feet high, that needed to be scaled.

“You will have to climb this to meet her,” professed Rasool. Every step required caution to avoid slipping, falling or twisting one’s ankles, but the old man was gentle and helpful, guiding us as we manoeuvred the terrain cautiously.

Finally, we reached the top of the hill unharmed and could see a medium-sized enclosure that appeared much smaller than I had anticipated — a testament to wildlife preservation efforts in Pakistan, of course. The compound seemed empty as we eagerly tried to find the enigmatic queen.

“Lovely, Lovely,” exclaimed Rasool and, almost sluggishly, the snow leopard appeared from behind the boulders and thick vegetation. We were spellbound upon finally seeing the most elusive of all the big cats.

Stocky, short-legged and slightly smaller than other big cats, her most striking feature was her thick fur, which was long, soft and dense. The fur was predominantly a pale grey colour, patterned with dark rosettes and spots, effectively camouflaging her amidst the snowy landscapes. She rubbed herself against the fence as Rasool patted and stroked her. Though slightly fearful, we were awestruck by her majestic presence and her blue eyes.

Rasool recalled that some 11 years ago, when he was treading through the Khunjerab Valley, he spotted a female snow leopard on the mountains across the river. She was accompanied by two small cubs who were struggling to climb and cross the treacherous mountains. She would look behind to make sure that the cubs followed but, as fate would have it, the cubs slipped and fell, hitting the rocks and falling into the river. The mother leopard looked on helplessly, standing there and calling out to them, but the cubs were now floating away with the gushing currents.

Rasool and his companions managed to rescue the cubs and brought them to the bank, by which time the mother leopard had disappeared. Rasool nursed the two cubs, one male and one female. The male was unable to survive his injuries, but Rasool was able to nurse the female cub back to health.

Since then, taking care of Lovely, aptly named, has been Rasool’s passion. The Gilgit-Baltistan Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department (GBFWE) provides him with Rs100,000 every year to look after Lovely. However, Rasool’s work relies more on donations, which are made directly to him by a few people from Karachi. Unfortunately, Lovely, due to her sheltered upbringing, cannot survive in the wild on her own, and Rasool is desperate to find a mate for her.

Fully committed to the cause of snow leopard preservation, Rasool has donated his personal land to aid these efforts. This site is located at a higher altitude than the present spot, much closer to the snowcapped mountains one can see from Naltar Valley.

The number of snow leopards in Pakistan has dwindled to around 200-400 and, since many are killed by poachers, illegal tradesmen and in retaliatory attacks following the killing of local livestock, it becomes all the more important to pay due attention to the lonely Lovely. More funds should be generated for this important cause, and a mate needs to be arranged for Lovely so that the elusively majestic snow leopards of Pakistan can grow in number.

The writer is a conservationist and wildlife enthusiast.
She tweets @S_Siddiqui70

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 23rd, 2023