Uttarakhand home to 2nd largest snow leopard population

Dehradun: Uttarakhand has documented a notable population of 124 snow leopards, securing the second position after Ladakh, which boasts 477, according to the Snow Leopards Population Assessment in India (SPAI) exercise that commenced in 2019. The recently released report, titled 'Status of Snow Leopard in India', represents the first-ever scientific effort estimating the presence of 718 snow leopards in the Indian Himalayan territories.

S Sathyakumar, a senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), shared insights into Uttarakhand's snow leopard landscape. His team conducted a comprehensive scientific assessment, highlighting Gangotri National Park as a pivotal area for conservation. He said, "Gangotri National Park has a fantastic snow leopard population and is poised to be a stepping stone for conservation of snow leopards because it connects with Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary on the left side, parts of Himachal Pradesh to the north, and Nanda Devi Biosphere and Kedarnath in Chamoli to the right side."

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve has also emerged as a promising habitat for snow leopards, according to authorities. Samir Sinha, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand, said, "In Uttarakhand, the survey covered from Uttarkashi in the west to Pithoragarh in the east above 3000 meters, encompassing Chamoli. These numbers serve as indicators of the ecological well-being of our high-altitude areas, linking local communities with livelihoods."

The survey spanned six snow leopard range states, with Himachal Pradesh leading with 51 elusive cats, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9), resulting in a total of 718 across these states.

During the SPAI exercise, 13,450km of trails were surveyed to record snow leopard signs. Camera traps were strategically placed at 1,971 locations, accumulating 180,000 trap nights. Snow leopard occupancy was documented in 93,392 sqkm, with an estimated presence in 100,841 sqkm. A total of 241 unique snow leopards were captured through camera traps.


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