Year-round presence of snow leopards confirmed in J&K

A three-year camera trapping study conducted by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the J&K Wildlife Protection Department has confirmed year-round presence and breeding activity of snow leopards. This marks a significant breakthrough for high-altitude biodiversity conservation in India.

Over 3,000 camera traps across the Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Paddar, and Zojila resulted in the identification of at least 12 adult snow leopards, with an estimated presence of up to 20 leopards. Notably, the presence of at least a mother with cubs in Kishtwar confirms that this is a breeding population.

Conducted between 2022 and 2025 across the Kishtwar Himalayas, this effort was launched under the nationwide Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India protocol. While earlier years confirmed the presence of snow leopards in the Union Territory for the first time, the 2024–25 phase brought new insights — recording snow leopards during winter months in both Paddar (Jammu division) and Zojila (Kashmir division). This suggests year-round use of the landscape, a critical indicator of stable habitat and a resident population.

“These findings reaffirm the importance of Jammu and Kashmir as a key snow leopard stronghold. It is time to treat the Kishtwar Himalayas not as isolated valleys, but as part of an interconnected conservation landscape,” said Dr Shahid Hameed, wildlife research and project coordinator at the NCF.

“Much of the credit must go to the continued commitment of the J&K Wildlife Department to conserve their high-altitude homes,” he added.

Beyond snow leopards, the study also documented 16 species of mammals, including the rare Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf, common leopard, Kashmir musk deer, stone marten, pika, Asiatic ibex and red fox. In some instances, both snow leopards and common leopards were detected at the same camera locations in Paddar, raising important questions about species interactions and the possible impact of climate change on range shifts.

The survey was supported by the Royal Enfield Social Mission.