Species File: Exploring India’s biodiversity, one species at a time.
Ladakh is planning to introduce guided wildlife safaris along snow-leopard trails. Conservationists warn that opening fragile high-altitude wilderness routes to tourists could disturb the species and other wildlife. The union territory is home to the country’s largest contiguous snow leopard habitat.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is one of the world’s most elusive big cats, earning it the moniker ‘ghost of the mountains’. Its thick, pale grey coat with dark rosettes helps it camouflage into the snowy, rocky environment, making it difficult to spot. A long, thick tail helps the cat balance on the rocks and protects it from the cold. Unlike other big cats, snow leopards do not roar. Instead, they communicate through growls, high-pitched yowls and chuffing.
Snow leopards are found in high mountains across Central and Northern Asia, including the Himalayan region. A recent report estimated India’s snow leopard population to be 718, while globally, there are over 3,386 mature individuals in the wild.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species categorises the snow leopard as vulnerable due to its rapidly declining population. In India, it receives the highest legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
Snow leopards are apex predators, crucial to maintaining the ecological balance of fragile mountain ecosystems. Yet their survival is increasingly under pressure owing to growing tourism, road and dam construction, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.
In a report that Mongabay-India published in July 2025, Yadvendradev Jhala, an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) senior scientist, said, “Our findings show Ladakh’s snow leopard population is contiguous; it connects with populations in China, Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan and the Karakoram (mountain range). So, any new infrastructure must be planned with care, to ensure it doesn’t fragment this vital corridor.”
Read more about community-led snow leopard conservation in the Himalayas and the impact of solar projects in Spiti, on their habitat.
Banner image: A snow leopard in Kaza, Himachal Pradesh. Image by Bharath Kumar Venkatesh via Pexels.
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