718 snow leopards found in India, more than 50% in Ladakh: MoEFCC Report

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav released the first-ever population assessment of snow leopards in India which are estimated to have a global population of 4,500 to 6,500

The Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, unveiled the report on the status of snow leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting in New Delhi. The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) programme, led by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), revealed a population of 718 snow leopards in India.

The snow leopard has been categorised as a "vulnerable" species by the World Wide Fund (WWF), with an estimated population of 4,500-6,500 worldwide. Found in 12 regions across Asia, its highest population has been observed in China, although, according to WWF 70 per cent of their habitats have not been explored or researched.

 

State-wise population of snow leopards in India

The SPAI in India was conducted in collaboration with snow leopard range states and conservation partners, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, and WWF-India. It covered about 70 per cent of areas that had potential habitats for snow leopards. This involved a study that covered 120,000 sq km across the trans-Himalayan region, including Ladakh, J & K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The estimated population in different states is as follows: Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9).

The SPAI efforts included surveying 13,450 km of trails for snow leopard signs, deploying camera traps at 1,971 locations for 180,000 trap nights, and photographing 241 unique snow leopards.

Dedicated snow leopard cell to be established

The report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) also emphasised on the establishment of a dedicated snow leopard cell at WII under MoEFCC for long-term population monitoring. Periodic population estimations (every fourth year) are proposed for states and UTs within the snow leopard range to ensure consistent monitoring, address threats, and formulate effective conservation strategies for the long-term survival of snow leopards in India.