The cold desert of Ladakh hides many secrets. The region is home to wildlife species unfamiliar to the rest of India. There is the often-spotted ibex, the bharal or blue sheep and marmot, which is a large squirrel. Among them, the most elusive and at the top of the food web is the snow leopard.
In the mountains, snow leopard is an apex predator which means there is no natural predator above it. Locally known as shan in Ladakh, they are shy and well-camouflaged, which makes their sighting a rarity for researchers.
Snow Leopards were declared endangered in 1972 under the IUCN red list. In September 2017, the species was reclassified to 'vulnerable', a threat level lower than 'endangered'. Currently, their global population is estimated to be somewhere between 4,500-7,500.
In Ladakh, where a majority of the people depends on their livestock for sustenance, the ghost cat is facing a serious threat. The snow leopard is being hunted down for its predation on livestock.
Dr Tsewang Namgail, director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy Trust, a local non-profit organisation is working towards tackling this threat in Ladakh.
Dr Namgail speaks with THE WEEK about his efforts for and the significance of snow leopard conservation.
How was your first encounter with the snow leopard and what made you interested in its conservation?
My first encounter with the big cat was in Hemis National Park. It was summer season in Ladakh and I was plotting a vegetation map as a wildlife researcher. As I focused the scope of my binoculars, there I saw two snow leopards. I had heard that these animals are elusive and difficult to see. I was captivated by the presence of this beautiful creature, and could not decide whether to take a picture or run to save my life. After the incident, I was hooked and started studying about it and its issues, which led me to initiate the conservation program.
What threats do snow leopards face? Which is the biggest among them?
The biggest threat in Ladakh is retaliatory killing by farmers and other locals. When a snow leopard kills their livestock, they get vindictive and beat or stone the animal to death. It is the single most important threat in Ladakh. Unlike China, poaching is not a problem in Ladakh. Across the world there are various other threats; of course, there is climate change and mining in some countries such as Mongolia and China, and has been an issue that destroys the species habitat.
How do snow leopards impact the ecosystem dynamics of Ladakh?
If there is a decline in the population of snow leopards or if they go extinct, the number of ungulates will increase. There will be overgrazing, and the slopes of mountains and neighboring land will lose vegetation and become dry causing a threat to the ungulates. With loose soil and no vegetation, there is a possibility of increased landslides and water flooding the villages. In some parts, people have seen that in recent years.
How are you addressing this human-animal conflict?
Snow leopards prey on sheep and goat. Farmers and their entire families in Ladakh or anywhere else are dependent on their livestock and its loss means a lot to them. The first line of action was to secure the livestock. Usually, the barns here are uncovered and lack security. So, we covered them with wire mesh and installed barbed wires around them. By doing so, we have managed to solve a considerable part of the problem.
The next step was to generate livelihood other than livestock rearing for the farmers so that they earn some extra income and depend less on their livestock. The Himalayan homestay program is one of our flagship programs which encourage tourists and trackers to stay with the locals instead of camping out in the open. This secures their income and reduces the financial pressure. It also gives tourists an opportunity to learn the local culture as a lot of them come here for that. Currently, we have 170 homestays across 40 villages of Ladakh. We have also started some programs to complement the homestay program like the promotion and sale of handicrafts.
Lastly, and one of the most importing things we do, is to educate the children as they are our future and their attitude towards wildlife will decide the fate of the snow leopard. Children should have an idea about the species’ conservation when they grow up. We are also trying to involve monks in snow leopard conservation.
Do you keep a count of the snow leopards? How do you know that the situation is improving?
It is quite a complicated task to collar the leopards for counting as it lives in hiding. There are some rigorous methods that we have employed, but currently we do not know the exact number in Ladakh. As of now, we cannot say if the population is increasing or decreasing as we do not have a benchmark data. That being said, the parts where we have introduced the conservation program, the retaliatory killing has stopped completely. This itself is an indicator that the situation is improving because it is the main threat to snow leopards. The locals who once used to go up in the mountains to hunt the animal are now attracting people to the conservation. We have managed to develop a symbiotic relationship between the locals and the animal. Tourist will stay with the locals only if there are snow leopards left to see. This gives them an incentive to care for the conservation more. I am sure it will have a positive bearing on the population of snow leopards.
As Ladakh is experiencing mass tourism, do you think it is going to affect the snow leopard’s habitat?
Yes, definitely. Snow leopards do not live in a vacuum. They are connected with a larger ecosystem of Ladakh. The increasing number of tourists coming to Ladakh, trekking and off-roading in some regions affects the soil, ungulates and marmots alike. Any little disturbance in the ecosystem has an impact on the whole system. Another issue with unregulated mass tourism is the increasing number of unverified tour operators and campsites. Such campsites do not take into account the environmental factor and indulge in improper waste disposal. We all are tying hard to regulate it and keep a check on unverified tour operators and tourist scams. The conservation of our environment in general and snow leopards in particular is an important issue that we all must be aware of.