Snow Leopard
Why it Matters?
A three-year Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) survey confirmed year-round breeding populations in J&K’s Kishtwar Himalayas. Over 3,000 camera trap nights identified 12–20 individuals, including cubs. Findings highlight habitat stability, coexistence with common leopards, climate change concerns, livestock conflicts.
What You Should Know?
The scientific name is Panthera uncia.
They inhabit the trans-Himalayan high-altitude regions typically between 3,000–5,500 meters elevation.
They are majorly found in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
They are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are included under Appendix I of CITES. They are also listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Ladakh hosts the world’s highest snow leopard density, with 477 individuals, underlining its global conservation significance.
Hemis National Park (Ladakh) is known for the highest recorded density of snow leopards in any protected area worldwide.
They are the Apex predator and indicator of mountain ecosystem health.
Project Snow Leopard
It was launched in 2009 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India.
It aimed to halt the decline of the snow leopard.
Government of India has identified the snow leopard as a flagship species for the high-altitude Himalayas.
It is Operational in five Himalayan states: Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh