First scientific survey finds 36 elusive snow leopards in Arunachal

Guwahati, Oct 17: Arunachal Pradesh is home to 36 snow leopards, declared Forest Minister Wangki Lowang, citing a recent survey, recently.

The survey report, titled “Statewide Assessment of the Population and Density of Snow Leopards in Arunachal Pradesh,” is the first scientifically robust estimates of snow leopard populations and densities in the state.

Released by the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (DoEFCC) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India), the survey utilised state-of-the-art methodologies to develop a robust assessment design.

The fieldwork, conducted by frontline staff from the state forest department, involved extensive camera trapping exercises from June 24 to December 9, 2021, covering 115 locations across the state.

Despite Arunachal Pradesh having over 15,000 square kilometres of potential snow leopard habitat, prior to this survey, no rigorous assessments of the species had been conducted.

The DoEFCC initiated this pioneering project in 2021, though the assessment faced significant challenges.

Unlike many other regions, Arunachal's snow leopard habitats are not easily accessible, and the rugged terrain posed difficulties for field researchers.

Interviews with herders and ex-hunters at 160 locations were also conducted to gauge local perceptions and assess threats to the snow leopards and their habitats.

Remarkably, over 80% of those interviewed confirmed the presence of snow leopards in the surveyed districts.

Additionally, eight snow leopards were detected during over 40 capture events across 16 different camera traps in the Tawang and Bomdila divisions.

The report highlighted that accidental killing and snaring pose the most significant threats to snow leopards in all surveyed districts, except in West Kameng and Tawang, where retaliatory killings are the primary concern.

The development of large-scale infrastructure and the presence of free-ranging dogs were also identified as serious threats to wildlife in the high-elevation areas of these districts.

In 2008, the “Project Snow Leopard” initiative was launched to conserve and protect the unique natural heritage of high-altitude wildlife populations and their habitats through participatory conservation policies and actions.

Notably, many tribes in Arunachal Pradesh regard snow leopards as totemic symbols of spiritual significance, and they impose strict sanctions on hunting carnivores to uphold their cultural beliefs.