Helping Nepal’s Humans and Wildlife Peacefully Coexist
Ryan Moore ’27 received a Davis Projects for Peace grant to build predator-proof corrals in the Himalayas, easing the conflict between snow leopards and people
Last summer, Ryan Moore ’27 spent a month in the shadow of the Annapurna Range in Nepal, where he learned firsthand just how important yaks are in the high-altitude regions of the country.
Yaks provide milk for butter and cheese, wool for clothing, manure for fertilizer and fuel, and transportation of goods. They are fundamental to the economy and culture of the high mountain people. And when yaks are hunted by snow leopards—the main predators of the region—Nepalese farmers and herders often retaliate by killing the elusive, vulnerable big cats.
Moore, a biology major, wants to alleviate tensions between farmers, herders, and snow leopards and has been awarded a prestigious 2026 Davis Projects for Peace grant to help him do so.
He’s working this spring with the Biodiversity Conservation Society Nepal, or BIOCOS Nepal, on his Yak Corral Peace Project: Minimizing Human-Animal Conflict in Manang, Nepal. Through the $10,000 grant, Moore will help build predator-proof corrals, which are believed to be the best way to mitigate conflict between snow leopards and farmers and herdsmen over yaks.
“They depend on the yak for so much, and when the snow leopards attack their livestock, it’s devastating,” Moore said. “With this corral project, I think we’ll be able to build enough to take care of all the herdsmen and people in the village, which is exciting.”
A legacy of global impact
Projects for Peace emerged from the vision of philanthropist Kathryn W. Davis and was launched on the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2007. The initiative, open to all undergraduates at the partner schools of the Davis UWC Scholars Program, challenges students to launch summer projects that address the causes of conflict and help create lasting peace.
Since its founding, the grants have supported more than 2,000 projects in 150 countries. More than 40 Colby students have used the grants to improve internet access in rural communities in Nepal, ensure safe drinking water in Nepal, build playgrounds in Zimbabwe, and implement other creative ideas to effect positive change.
Moore will work on the corral project with Dr. Paras Bikram Singh, director of BIOCOS Nepal, and others from the nonprofit organization, as well as his brother, Charlie Moore ’29. The brothers, from Cumberland, Maine, left Colby before the end of the semester to avoid the worst of the monsoon season, which makes travel hazardous. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to build on what Ryan Moore learned last summer by volunteering with BIOCOS Nepal.
“It was such an incredible experience for me personally, and I got to learn so much that I came away from it wondering how I could turn this experience into something impactful, something that will actually make a difference and keep me involved,” he said.
The power of positive persistence
One professor who has made a big difference to Moore is Philip Nyhus, the Elizabeth and Lee Ainslie Professor of Environmental Studies. Nyhus, an authority on elephants, tigers, and other charismatic megafauna, is especially interested in the interface of human interactions with wild animal populations. He’s shared that interest with students in classes and in Jan Plans in far-flung locales, including Namibia, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Moore, who has always been fascinated by the natural world, was interested in these field study opportunities. But because he is a member of the men’s ice hockey team, he did not participate in an international Jan Plan course. Undeterred, he approached Nyhus, explained his interest, and asked whether there were any other opportunities to gain experience.
“I just kept bothering him, sending him emails, meeting with him, and trying to learn about what he was doing,” Moore said.
For Nyhus, Moore wasn’t a bother, but rather an example of a student being “positively persistent” in reaching out to a faculty member about something that interested him.
“He was just enthusiastic, and he wanted to learn more,” the professor said.
Becoming a “Colby ambassador”
As it turned out, Moore was in the right place at the right time. Last summer, Nyhus was initiating Colby’s collaboration with BIOCOS Nepal and seeking a student to lead a scouting mission for his upcoming Jan Plan there. Moore fit the bill.
“We wanted to get some momentum and have some proof of concept of having a student go there,” Nyhus said. “And Ryan walked in the door.”
“I was the test guy and the Colby ambassador. It was an incredible experience,” Moore said, adding that he has a desire to meet new people and understand new cultures. “My experience in Nepal was transformational. I learned so much about human-wildlife conflicts.”
In Nepal, Moore stayed at an altitude of 13,000 feet, with low oxygen and cold nights. He got to go into the field to retrieve trail cameras, also called camera traps, and cataloged the data for snow leopard population estimates. He helped with an anti-poaching initiative for certain pheasant species and learned about the relationship that local people have with snow leopards.
And all the while, he was surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Himalayas while meeting people who made an impression as big as the mountains.
“They might not have a lot, but they’re some of the happiest people I’ve ever met. And I’m so excited to go back and see them again,” Moore said.
Bridging different worlds
When Moore returned from his travels, he knew he wanted to give back to the community. Nyhus told him about the Davis Projects for Peace grant, and Moore applied, with a project that is practical and measurable, and will make a meaningful contribution to the people in this part of the world.
“I am really proud of his initiative,” Nyhus said. “And now he’s able to go back and make a real impact for community members who face the risk of livestock depredation.”
The Moore brothers will spend about a month in the mountains building tall, simple wire-and-post enclosures to keep the yaks in and the snow leopards out by thwarting the cats’ ability to jump or climb into the corral.
In doing this work, they are part of a long, proud tradition of Colby students with a global vision for helping others, often supported by the Davis Projects for Peace grants, Nyhus said.
“Ryan represents the many Colby students who have a passion and interest for the world and doing something meaningful when they’re out there,” Nyhus said. “And the Colby education is a wonderful training ground for those experiences.”
