The population of rare snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh’s high-altitude tribal regions has seen an extraordinary growth of 62 percent over the past four years. The latest wildlife survey indicates that this count increased from 51 in 2021 to 83 now, as announced by state Forest Department officials on Friday.
This survey, conducted in the past year, underscores the effectiveness of long-term conservation strategies that actively involve local communities in safeguarding wildlife. Released on the first day of Wildlife Week (October 2–8), the report not only surpassed the upper confidence estimate of 73 from the 2021 survey but also hints at a possible expansion of habitats available to snow leopards.
The study employed a comprehensive camera-trapping exercise across six strategic locations, covering almost 26,000 square kilometers. These sites included regions in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Pangi valley, where researchers recorded sightings of snow leopards both inside and beyond protected areas such as Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary and the Great Himalayan National Park.
Besides snow leopards, the survey also cataloged populations of various prey species including blue sheep, Himalayan ibex, and musk deer, as well as other mammals like Himalayan wolves, brown bears, and leopards. Remarkably, the survey documented the first official sighting of Pallas’s cat in Kinnaur and rediscovered the woolly flying squirrel in Lahaul, emphasizing the rich biodiversity of the area.
Officials attribute the significant findings to community involvement, which played a pivotal role in the success of the survey. Local youth and women from Kibber village in Spiti contributed to camera trap deployments and data analysis, collaborating closely with forest officers in field operations. In contrast to the previous survey that spanned three years, this was effectively concluded in just one year.
This innovative and cost-effective survey has established a scalable framework for long-term monitoring of snow leopards in India. As a result, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to conduct a second statewide assessment of the snow leopard population.
