Having split from Jammu and Kashmir, the administration of Ladakh on Wednesday declared Snow Leopard its new state animal of the Union Territory (UT).
The Lt. Governor RK Mathur also declared Black Necked Crane the state bird of Ladakh.
Principal Secretary, Forest & Environment Pawan Kotwal has issued a formal order declaring the state animal and state bird of the newly carved out UT.
According to official figures, there are about 7,500 snow leopards left in the world, 500 of which are in India. The high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh is home to about half of them. Sightings are rare. In the Ladakh region snow leopards survive on a prey base of bharal (blue sheep), ibex and marmots.
In India, the geographical range of snow leopard encompasses a large part of the western Himalayas including the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
Ladakhis believe that a sighting of the black necked crane portends good luck. For residents of Ladakh, the black-necked crane is held in high regard. Its mating dance is an important part of every cultural program and festival, and many monasteries feature paintings of the crane alongside other spiritual art.