Kolkata, Oct 23: With their habitat constantly under threat, conservationists in India have called for greater efforts to monitor snow leopards, known as the “Ghost of the Mountains”. “Snow leopards share their high-altitude habitat with local communities. India’s conservation efforts include community involvement and support for livelihoods alongside protection of snow leopard ecosystems,” the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said on Friday on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day.
In India, snow leopards can be largely found in the high-altitude, cold, arid and rugged terrains of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Despite its large distributional range, the population of snow leopards across the world is dwindling, making it one of the most endangered cats in the world.
The global population of snow leopards is estimated to be between 3500 and 7000 individuals, according to the Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust (SLC – IT). This organisation works for the conservation of the species and other animals in Ladakh and Spiti. It has identified the major threats that this magnificent animal faces.
“Snow leopards are highly threatened in India due to poaching for their pelts and body parts, a decline in prey base (mostly Blue Sheep and Asiatic Ibex) due to increasing domestic livestock that tend to quickly deplete the high-altitude pasture lands; and retaliatory killings by village communities whose livestock, sometimes 50 at a time, are killed for food by these predators.
More recent threats include hydroelectric projects, mining and climate change,” SLC – IT has said. The breeding pattern of the animal itself also makes it a highly vulnerable species, as a female snow leopard generally gives birth to only one or two cubs once in two years. So any change affecting their ecology makes it very difficult for these animals to improve their population base quickly.
“Known to be an umbrella or keystone species, the survival of these animals as the top predator hence becomes critical for the survival of other species in the ecosystem,” it has said. According to the Ladakh Union Territory Administration, the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Report 2024 estimates 718 snow leopards in India, with Ladakh hosting the highest population of about 477.
The Indian Army, which has bases close to where snow leopards live, has been playing a key role in the conservation of the animal. It collaborates with civil authorities to protect snow leopards and high-altitude ecosystems in Ladakh. On World Wildlife Day this year, the Fire and Fury Corps signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Forest, Ecology and Environment Department of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Under this agreement, a Joint Snow Leopard Conservation Cell has been established to monitor wildlife movements, share field observations from remote border areas, and curb threats like free-ranging feral dogs. Apart from snow leopards, the partnership protects the Himalayan Wolf, Bharal (Blue Sheep), Ibex, Marmot, and the Black-necked Crane. The initiative aligns with India’s commitments under the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP).
IANS