From 67 To Over 100, Himachal’s Snow Leopard Population Sees Promising Rise

At a time when several species like bees and cheetahs have been declared endangered, some good news has been reported from Himachal Pradesh. According to News18, the population of snow leopards, which was estimated at 67 in 2016, has risen to over 100.

Dubbed as the Grey Ghosts of Spiti, these felines can be spotted in the rugged terrain at altitudes between 9,800 feet and 17,000 feet i.e. from Kibber wildlife sanctuary in Lahaul and Spiti to Pangi in Chamba district.

According to Hindustan Times, the rise in numbers is courtesy conservation efforts of the state’s forest department. Way back in 2006, the wildlife wing of the forest department teamed up with the Nature Conservation Foundation of India, Mysore, to initiate a project to conserve their habitat in Spiti Valley.

Now, they are surveying the region which will be completed in March. 49 snow leopards have been tracked in Miyar, Thandi, Chandra and Bagha areas. Savita, principal chief conservator wildlife, was quoted saying,

“We followed the landscape adoption approach under which we take care of snow leopards, their prey base and the livelihood of people. The surveys have been encouraging.”

Wildlife official Sanjay Kumar Dhiman was quoted adding,

“The frequent sighting of leopards is a good sign. It shows that they live in a healthy environment.”

Not only is this a glimmer of hope for conservationists but also locals who get trained to guide tourists on snow leopard sighting trips and in turn earn their livelihood.

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