A wildlife survey in Arunachal Pradesh has produced the first photographic evidence of the Pallas’s cat in the state, alongside records of five other wild cats found above 4,200 metres. The species documented during the survey were snow leopard, common leopard, clouded leopard, leopard cat, and marbled cat, highlighting the landscape’s exceptional wild cat diversity.
The survey was carried out in 2024 by WWF-India under the project ‘Reviving Trans-Himalayan Rangelands – A Community-led Vision for People and Nature,’ supported by the UK Government through the Darwin Initiative. The work was conducted in collaboration with local communities and the Forest Department, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The WWF-India team was led by Rohan Pandit, Taku Sai, Nisam Luxom and Pemba Tsering Romo, under the guidance of Rishi Kumar Sharma, Head for Science and Conservation, Himalayas Programme, WWF-India.
Between July and September 2024, the team deployed 136 camera traps in 83 sites across 2,000 km² of rangelands in West Kameng and Tawang districts. The equipment remained in place for more than eight months in difficult terrain and extreme conditions. The work required extensive trekking and logistical planning and relied heavily on the knowledge and support of local guides and herding communities.
The findings included India’s highest elevation records for several species: the common leopard at 4,600 metres, the clouded leopard at 4,650 metres, the marbled cat at 4,326 metres, the Himalayan wood owl at 4,194 metres, and the grey-headed flying squirrel at 4,506 metres. These records may exceed previously known global elevation limits for the species.
The photographic record of the Pallas’s cat, though slightly below its global maximum of about 5,050 metres, is considered highly significant. Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, it is one of the least studied wild cats in the world. Its presence in Arunachal Pradesh expands the known distribution of the species in the eastern Himalayas, adding to earlier confirmed records from Sikkim, Bhutan, and eastern Nepal.
In one unusual finding, the survey captured both a snow leopard and a common leopard scent-marking at the same location, offering new insight into the ways big cats may share fragile alpine habitats. The survey also documented images of the Brokpa herding community with their livestock, illustrating long-standing pastoral traditions that continue to shape coexistence between people and wildlife in these high-altitude landscapes.
Speaking on the findings, Taku Sai, Senior Project Officer, WWF-India, said that the discovery of multiple wild cats at such extreme elevations opened new opportunities for ecological research and conservation. Rishi Kumar Sharma of WWF-India added that the record of Pallas’s cat in Arunachal Pradesh showed how little is still known about high Himalayan ecosystems, and underlined the importance of community-led conservation grounded in both science and traditional knowledge.
Ngilyang Tam, PCCF and CWLW (Wildlife and Biodiversity), Government of Arunachal Pradesh, described the discovery as a milestone for wildlife research in the eastern Himalayas. He said it reaffirmed the state’s global importance as a biodiversity hotspot, and showed how collaboration between the Forest Department, WWF-India and local communities could align conservation with traditional livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of WWF-India’s wider work in the Western Arunachal Landscape, which has included snow leopard and red panda conservation, protection of high-altitude wetlands, and the development of Community Conserved Areas with Monpa communities since 2004. These efforts aim to safeguard fragile ecosystems while strengthening community resilience and livelihoods.
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Great work.