ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as a sanctuary for 36 snow leopards, contributing to a nationwide estimate of 718 of these elusive creatures.
The findings are part of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI), a comprehensive survey spanning from 2019 to 2023.
In Arunachal, surveys canvassed districts such as Tawang, Shi-Yomi, West Kameng, Anjaw, Dibang Valley, and Changlang, encompassing a challenging 2,400-km trail.
Cameras strategically placed at 115 locations clocked 8,775 trap nights, contributing to a robust dataset covering 22,616 kms of effective areas.
The survey, executed through a meticulous two-step framework, first assessed snow leopard spatial distribution, incorporating habitat covariates. The second step involved estimating abundance using camera traps in identified stratified regions.
Released by Union Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav during the National Board for Wildlife meeting in New Delhi on January 31, the SPAI report marks the first-ever exercise to precisely document the snow leopard population in India.
Leading the snow leopard census is Ladakh with an estimated population of 477, followed by Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu & Kashmir (9).
The Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with snow leopard range states and partners Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru, and WWF-India, orchestrated the SPAI, covering over 70% of potential snow leopard habitats across the trans-Himalayan region.
Minister Yadav, while emphasising the collaborative effort involving forest & wildlife staffers, researchers, volunteers, and knowledge partners, highlighted the expansive nature of the survey across 1,20,000 kms of crucial snow leopard habitats.
The snow leopard, classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, faces threats ranging from habitat loss and poaching to infrastructure development.
The SPAI not only sheds light on their numbers but also underscores the importance of conservation efforts in safeguarding these majestic creatures in their natural habitats.
