Guwahati: Himachal Pradesh has reaffirmed its position as India’s leader in snow leopard conservation, with the second state-wide population assessment confirming a stable and healthy number of these elusive big cats across the high-altitude landscapes.
Conducted jointly by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department, the survey—supported by the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) and Royal Enfield Social Mission—estimated 83 snow leopards across the state, based on 44 unique adult individuals captured in camera traps.
The assessment, completed within a single year using the Snow Leopard Population Assessment of India (SPAI) protocol, makes Himachal Pradesh the only state in India to have completed two full state-wide snow leopard surveys. The first survey was conducted in 2021.
Spanning 26,000 sq km of snow leopard habitat, the latest study recorded the highest densities in Spiti, Pin Valley, Upper Kinnaur, and Tabo regions, reaffirming these as strongholds of the species. The results suggest a likely increase in population—from 51 to 83 individuals—though scientists note this may reflect improved methods and shorter survey windows.
“This assessment shows that our snow leopard populations remain healthy and that the high Himalayas still harbor an astonishing diversity of wildlife,” said Goldy Chabra, DCF–Spiti. “From snow leopards to Pallas’s cats and woolly flying squirrels, the mountains continue to surprise us.”
In a major highlight, the survey reported the first official record of Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) in Kinnaur and the rediscovery of the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) in Lahaul—two rare and little-known Himalayan species.
“This is not just a wildlife survey—it’s a story of collaboration,” said Preeti Bhandari, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). “Local communities, forest staff, and researchers worked shoulder to shoulder across some of the harshest terrain to complete this milestone in record time.”
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Eight youth from Kibber village in Spiti led the camera-trap deployments, joined by 20 forest officers and 15 community members. Notably, the survey also marked a global first, with an indigenous women’s team from Kibber contributing to data analysis—a landmark in community-based conservation.
“Himachal’s approach represents the future of wildlife monitoring—scientifically rigorous, community-driven, and globally aligned,” said Dr. Koustubh Sharma, Executive Director, GSLEP.
Supported by the Royal Enfield Social Mission, this second assessment sets a new national benchmark for rapid, large-scale wildlife monitoring—and reaffirms that when science, local communities, and government come together, even the world’s most elusive cats can be counted and conserved.
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