Guwahati: How does one go and set up camera traps at high altitudes to get pictures of snow leopards?
“Setting up camera traps in high-altitude regions poses significant challenges. It demands physical strength, endurance, and mental resilience. With temperatures often dropping below -10 degrees and rapidly depleting oxygen levels at altitudes ranging from 3000 to 5600 meters, the harsh environmental conditions add to the difficulty. In addition to braving the elements, individuals must possess the skills to navigate challenging terrains” says Rishi Kumar Sharma Lead Snow Leopard Program WWF India.
Snow leopards are usually found beyond 3000 metres.
The first Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) report has revealed figures of snow leopards from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh – the two states in Northeast where the animal is found.
The estimated population of snow leopards in Arunachal Pradesh is 36 and 21 in Sikkim. There are 718 estimated snow leopards in India.
A total of 241 unique Snow leopards were photographed of which 8 were from Arunachal Pradesh and 14 from Sikkim.
“One has to walk for 10-20 kms and oxygen levels are very low in those locations” he said. ” We take help of herders in those areas to navigate through the terrains” he added.
A lot of technical skills are needed to find out where the traps have to be set up to get pictures. WWF India were the technical partners for Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and designed the survey protocols and implemented the training required for the survey.
“It becomes much more difficult in less explored areas like Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.
A total of 14 individual snow leopards were detected through 64 snow leopard capture events, utilising 99 camera trap locations across Sikkim. The snow leopard habitat in Sikkim is 5179sq kms.
In Arunachal Pradesh eight individual snow leopards were detected through more than 40 snow leopard capture events, utilising a network of 115 camera trap locations in Tawang and Bomdila divisions. The snow leopard habitat in Arunachal Pradesh is 14,156 sq km.
Ladakh has the highest snow leopard population with 477 followed by Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9).
The SPAI systematically covered over 70 per cent of the potential snow leopard range in the country, involving forest & wildlife staff, researchers, volunteers, and contributions from knowledge partners. Covering approximately 120,000 sq km of crucial Snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and J & K, and states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, the SPAI exercise was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework.
The first step involved evaluating Snow leopard spatial distribution, incorporating habitat covariates into the analysis, aligning with the guidelines of the National population assessment of snow leopards in India by the MoEFCC in 2019. This systematic approach included assessing the spatial distribution through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range. In the second step, Snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.
During the SPAI exercise, total efforts included: 13,450 km of trails surveyed for recording Snow Leopard signs, while camera traps were deployed at 1,971 locations for 180,000 trap nights. Snow leopard occupancy was recorded in 93,392 sq km, with an estimated presence in 100,841 sq km. A total of 241 unique Snow leopards were photographed.
Before 2016, approximately one-third of the range (around ca. 100,347 km2) received minimal research attention, reduced to just 5% in pockets like Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. Recent status surveys have significantly increased understanding, providing preliminary information for 80% of the range (about 79,745 sqkm), compared to 56% in 2016. To gather robust information on Snow leopard numbers, the SPAI exercise surveyed habitats using a substantial network of camera traps.
The report also mentions the need for establishing a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at Wildlife Institute of India under the MoEFCC is proposed, with a primary focus on long-term population monitoring, supported by well-structured study designs and consistent field surveys. Consistent monitoring is essential to ensuring Snow leopards’ long-term survival.
For the same, states and Union Territories can consider adopting a periodic population estimation approach (every 4th year) in the Snow leopard range. These regular assessments will offer valuable insights for identifying challenges, addressing threats, and formulating effective conservation strategies.