Snow leopard count doubles in 4 yrs in Himachal, 2 new species spotted

MUCH to the delight of the wildlife enthusiasts, the highly endangered snow leopard population in Himachal has almost doubled, increasing from 44 individuals in 2021 to 83, according to a recent survey.

- HARPREET BAJWA @ Chandigarh

The survey was jointly conducted by the Nature Conservation Foundation and the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. For the first time, two new species—pallas’s cat and woolly flying squirrel—were also spotted.