SNOW LEOPARDS

No longer migrants, making J&K their home!

- BOSKY KHANNA

THE mystery of the snow leopards and their struggle for survival is being slowly understood by researchers and forest department officials in the politically and environmentally sensitive and fragile ecosystem regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The elusive big cats, also known as the 'ghosts of the mountains', are found to be no longer a migrant population in J&K as over a dozen snow leopards have made the region their home. The recently released camera trap study report prepared by Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) revealed that the J&K region houses around 20 snow leopards, most of them being outside protected areas.

Following the directions of the Central government, the Snow Leopard Population Assessment of India started in 2020 but the pandemic slowed it down. Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were listed for the assessment. The exercise was completed in Himachal Pradesh in 2021. It took another two years in Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh and in J&K, the exercise was wrapped up this year.

The NCF conducted the study in Himachal Pradesh and J&K, whereas Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) studied Ladakh and Uttarakhand. The Wild Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) took up the study in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

As per reports, there are 400 snow leopards in Ladakh, 80 were recorded in Himachal Pradesh, 100 in Uttarakhand and 20 each in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.