SPAI Report: India’s Snow Leopard Population Stands At 718

According to the results of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program’s first population estimation exercise, there are about 718 snow leopards in the nation.

During the Tuesday meeting of the National Board for Wildlife in Delhi, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented the report on the condition of snow leopards in India.

With the help of WWF-India, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, and all the states in the snow leopard range, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) served as the exercise’s national coordinator.

With the help of volunteers, researchers, forest and wildlife employees, and contributions from knowledge partners, the SPAI covered more than 70% of the country’s potential snow leopard range.

The exercise was carried out from 2019 to 2023 and covered about 107,594 Km2 of vital snow leopard habitat throughout the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and J&K and states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.

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According to the guidelines of the national population assessment of snow leopards, the first step involved evaluating the spatial distribution of snow leopards and incorporating habitat covariates into the analysis.

Using camera traps in every area, the abundance of snow leopards was estimated in the second step.

1,971 locations had camera traps set up, and about 13,450 km of trails were surveyed to record snow leopard signs.

With an estimated presence of 100,841 km2, the occupancy of snow leopards was recorded at 93,392 km2. A total of 241 distinct snow leopards were captured on camera.

Ladakh (477) has the largest population, according to data analysis, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (9), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Ladakh (477).

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) should establish a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII, according to the report, with an emphasis on long-term population monitoring backed by organised study designs and regular field surveys.

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To ensure the long-term survival of snow leopards, states and UTs should think about implementing a periodic population estimation approach (every fourth year) within the snow leopard range. This will allow for consistent monitoring.

These routine evaluations will provide insightful information for recognising obstacles, dealing with dangers, and developing successful conservation plans.

Although snow leopards are ideally suited to their chilly, desolate high-altitude habitats, human threats have left the cats’ futures uncertain.

Scientists estimate that there may only be 3,920–6,390 snow leopards left in the wild, despite the species’ vast range of over 2 million km2, according to the Snow Leopard Trust.