Where Are India's Snow Leopards?

Snow leopard in the mountains of Ladakh. Image credit: NCF India / Snow Leopard Trust

This news is exciting indeed. India has completed the first-ever population estimation of snow leopards living in the country through the SPAI (Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India) Program. The results are out, and now we have the much-needed baseline data to further the conservation work to save the species. According to the estimation, Ladakh boasts the highest count of snow leopards at 477, followed by Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh with 124 and 51 snow leopards, respectively. The other three states with snow leopards are Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Jammu and Kashmir, with 36, 21, and 9 snow leopards recorded, respectively. The total count of India thus comes to be 718! While this might not be a huge figure, it definitely has good potential for conserving the species in the face of a multitude of challenges.

Where Was The Snow Leopard?

Snow leopard in the mountains of Ladakh. Image credit: NCF India / Snow Leopard Trust

Snow leopards have existed for millions of years in the snow-clad, high-altitude ranges of the mighty Himalayas in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. However, unlike the tigers and leopards inhabiting the relatively lower altitudes, these gorgeous beings and apex predators of the high-mountain ecosystem were largely left out of the spotlight for a long, long time. With our advancements in science and technology, our ability to access and encroach into snow leopard habitats increased, and so did our thrilling tales of snow leopard sightings. Initially, local communities who expanded their settlements into snow leopard habitats came in contact with them, and there were retaliations when these predators preyed on the livestock of these communities. Many snow leopards have been killed over the centuries due to such negative interactions. More recently, however, human-snow leopard encounters have been more favourable due to the advent of snow leopard tourism. Snow leopards in the mountains are now what tigers are in the lowland forests - a source of economy for the locals through tourism. Snow leopard photographers have boomed in recent times, and so has the desire of people to catch a glimpse of this highly elusive cat but a gorgeous one to behold! Now, instead of herding livestock, local communities are opening new homestays, restaurants, and other tourist facilities to welcome people from India and abroad to come to see the snow leopard with whom they share the habitat. Thus, all this attention showered on these majestic animals has at least given us a fair idea of where our snow leopards are, their role as climate change indicators, and their growing value in the tourism industry, paving the way for the first-ever population estimation of the species.

Where Are The Snow Leopards?

A wild female snow leopard resting in Ladakh, India. Image credit: T. R. Shankar Raman via Wikimedia Commons

Snow leopards are distributed across 12 range countries over an area of nearly 2 million sq. km. These countries are Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, and Russia. The population of this species is estimated to be anywhere around 3,000 to 5,000 individuals based on various estimates taken in these range countries at different points of time. China is known to host the highest population among these range countries. Although the big cat species was classified as Endangered by the IUCN, more recent knowledge of its estimated population has led to its re-classification as Vulnerable, one step lower in the threatened category. However, experts agree that there is still a great cause for concern and if conservation strategies are not implemented vigorously, the species might quickly get to the brink.

India's Count

The SPAI Program was carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) with support from the state governments of the country's snow leopard states, WWF-India, and Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru. Around 70% of the species' known habitat (about 107,594 sq. km) was surveyed for the count with the help of scientists, wildlife staff, volunteers, and others from 2019 to 2023. Snow leopard spatial distribution and abundance were measured, with around 13,450 km of trails being covered and 1,971 camera traps being installed. The following is the result:

1. Ladakh - 477
2. Uttarakhand - 124
3. Himachal Pradesh - 51
4. Arunachal Pradesh - 36 
5. Sikkim - 21
6. Jammu and Kashmir - 9

Where To See Snow Leopards In India?

A snow leopard in the snow. Image credit: Photo by Ismail Shariff for the Indian Ministry of Tourism (MOT) and Snow Leopard Trust,  via Wikimedia Commons.

As evident from the results, Ladakh is your best bet to see these phantoms of the mountains. Numerous tour operators in the union territory offer snow leopard watching and photography tours. In addition, if you are ready for more adventure and exploration, you can try visiting the other states where, although sighting snow leopards is a bigger challenge, there is a greater thrill as well when you get to see them after treks and trails through scenic and surreal Himalayan landscapes.