The population of rare snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh’s high-altitude tribal regions has grown by an impressive 62 per cent over the past four years, according to a newly released wildlife survey.
The count, which stood at 51 in 2021, has now increased to 83, officials from the state Forest Department’s Wildlife Wing announced on Friday. The survey, conducted over the past year, highlights the success of long-term conservation strategies that actively involve local communities.
Released on the first day of Wildlife Week (October 2–8), the report noted that the count excluded cubs and even surpassed the upper confidence estimate of 73 from the 2021 survey, suggesting a possible expansion of habitats.
The study involved a large-scale camera-trapping exercise across six sites, covering nearly 26,000 sq km. Snow leopards and their habitats were identified in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Pangi valley, with sightings recorded not just inside but also beyond protected areas such as Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Great Himalayan National Park, Sechu Tuan Nallah Wildlife Sanctuary, and Asrang Wildlife Sanctuary.
Alongside snow leopards, the survey also mapped populations of prey species like blue sheep, Himalayan ibex, and musk deer, as well as other mammals including Himalayan wolves, brown bears, leopards, red foxes, and martens.
Notably, the survey reported the first official sighting of Pallas’s cat in Kinnaur and the rediscovery of the woolly flying squirrel in Lahaul, underlining the state’s rich biodiversity.
Officials credited community involvement as a major factor behind the survey’s success. Local youth and women from Kibber village in Spiti participated in camera trap deployments and data analysis, while forest officers worked alongside villagers during field operations. Unlike the earlier survey which took three years, this one was completed in just one year.
Moreover, the cost-effective survey has created a scalable framework for long-term snow leopard monitoring in India. With this accomplishment, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to conduct a second statewide snow leopard assessment.
