In a first, snow leopards spotted in Kishtwar

SRINAGAR: For the first time, the elusive snow leopards have been sighted in the upper reaches of Kishtwar.

Wildlife department camera traps in Kishtwar have spotted snow leopards in the upper reaches which has spurred hope that the area could be the habitat of the elusive animal.

“Our camera traps have caught images of three snow leopards. In one incident, two snow leopards were caught in a single frame. In another, we caught another. Recently our camera caught another image,” Dr. MK Kumar, Regional Wildlife Warden, Jammu, told The Kashmir Monitor.

Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) has been listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN’s) red list given its large-scale poaching. The animal has also been listed under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. A study conducted by the Mountain Wildlife Division of SKAUST Kashmir has confirmed the presence of snow leopards in Gurez and Sonamarg.

The wildlife protection department launched the first-ever snow leopard assessment program last year. The survey is a part of the nationwide population assessment of snow leopards. Kishtwar and adjoining forests in Jammu; Gurez, Thajwas, and Overa Aru in Kashmir region will be surveyed for the project.

“We started the survey last year. We have placed camera traps in a five-kilometer radius. We installed them before winter. We are retrieving the memory cards of the camera traps. These will be sent to a laboratory for analysis,” said Dr Kumar.

Poached for their attractive fur, organs, and bones, there are roughly 500 snow leopards found in India. Of which 60 percent are in the cold desert of Ladakh alone. Figures suggest that there are just 4500 to 7000 snow leopards left in the world. The population of snow leopards’ is fast depleting because of varied reasons including poaching, encroachment of their habitat, retaliatory attacks by shepherds, and others.

“Given the altitude and related aspects, Kishtwar is a potential habitat for snow leopards. Now it has been sighted which suggests that the animal is present in the upper reaches of Kishtwar. We are surveying the area up to Wadhwan,” Dr Kumar said.

The wildlife department is likely to conclude the study by summer this year. “We have placed camera traps at the remotest places to track the animal. We hope to conclude the survey by the end of this summer,” said Dr Kumar.