1: Unveiling of Snow Leopard Population Assessment

- Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav unveiled an iconic report on Snow leopards in India.

- The said report emerged in the wake of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program.

- Aimed at evaluating the population of Snow leopards, the SPAI report revealed a population of 718 Snow leopards in India.

- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, and WWF-India, coordinated the SPAI program.

2: Scope and Execution of the SPAI Program

- Encompassing around 70% of the potential Snow leopard habitat, the study covered around 120,000 km² across the trans-Himalayan region.

- It included states and Union Territories such as Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh for research.

- Employing a two-step framework, the research conducted the spatial distribution evaluation and abundance estimation through camera traps between the years 2019 to 2023.

3: Main Findings and Snow Leopard Estimates Across States

- The fieldwork involved in the SPAI program surveyed trails spanning 13,450 km for signs of Snow leopards and set up 1,971 camera trap locations for 180,000 trap nights, offering robust insight into the Snow leopard population.

- The research recorded Snow leopard occupancy at 93,392 km² and their presence was estimated at 100,841 km².

- A total of 241 unique Snow leopards were photographed. Populations varied across states with Ladakh accounting for the highest population with 477 Snow leopards, followed by Uttarakhand at 124, Himachal Pradesh at 51, Arunachal Pradesh at 36, Sikkim at 21 and Jammu and Kashmir at 9.

4: Expanded Understanding and Proposals for Future Monitoring

- Compared to the pre-2016 research which only covered one-third of the Snow leopard's range in India, recent findings increased knowledge to cover approximately 80% of the Snow leopard's range.

- The report advocates for the establishment of a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change for long-term population observation.

- It also recommends a periodic population estimation approach to be adopted by states and UTs every fourth year, to ensure effective conservation strategies and secure the long-term survival of Snow leopards.

In conclusion, the findings of the SPAI program establish a significant milestone in snow leopard conservation in India. By providing critical insights into the population and distribution of snow leopards, the program enables informed decisions in their preservation and long-term survival.