Ladakh is home to one of the world’s highest densities of snow leopards, with an estimated 477 individuals living across the region, nearly two thirds of India’s total snow leopard population. This data comes from the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SLPAI) survey which utilised camera traps and field research across snow leopard habitat. In Ladakh, the survey found the density of snow leopards to vary between one and three individuals per 100 sq km. This impressive concentration underscores Ladakh’s vital role in snow leopard conservation, supported by community efforts, traditional reverence for wildlife, and eco-tourism, all of which contribute to the preservation of this elusive apex predator and the region’s fragile high-altitude ecosystem.
Ladakh hosts a dense Snow Leopard population
