Another highly endangered species, the snow leopard, has been sighted in the remote Paddar area of the Kishtwar district of the Jammu division. The animal has been captured on camera in the fringe area of the high-altitude national park.

J&K’s Department of Wildlife Protection on Tuesday released seven pictures of the snow leopard trapped in a camera frame. “The first-ever pictures (Captured through Camera Traps) of Snow Leopard from Padder, the fringe area of Kishtwar High Altitude National Park,” the department said.

Advertisement

The pictures show the snow leopard standing on rocks with a snow-covered mountain in the background.

Several sightings of snow leopards have been done within a short span, but this time, in the Kishtwar district where the Paddar valley covers the entire south-eastern portion of the Kishtwar district. It borders Zanskar (Ladakh) in the north and east and Pangi (Himachal Pradesh) in the south. Ladakh, touching the Tibetan plateau, is considered home for snow leopards, but their sightings in Kishtwar have encouraged wildlife lovers.

The department last month released two photos of snow leopards captured in a camera trap frame in Kiyar Nallah of Kishtwar. One of these snow leopards standing on a rocky surface was caught in the camera trap on 1 October at 2.15 pm, while the other picture was captured in a green mountain area on 20 September at 11.47 am.

Earlier in the month of May, the camera traps installed before snowfall in the National Park were retrieved and multiple images of snow leopards were captured in the camera frames. In one camera trap frame, three snow leopards were seen roaming amidst the pristine snow-covered landscapes in the Renai catchment of Kishtwar High Altitude National Park.

Earlier, the Department of Wildlife Protection, through outsourced scientific study, also captured two snow leopards (one adult and one sub-adult) in a single frame of camera trap in Nanth Nallah.

The camera trap images showcase the remarkable adaptability of this elusive species, well-suited to thrive in the challenging high-altitude environment of Kishtwar.

In India, the snow leopard is granted the highest level of protection under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and hunting is sentenced to imprisonment of 3 to 7 years.

Officials believe the successful camera trap sighting of the snow leopards is an affirmation of the effectiveness of the park’s conservation strategies, which encompasses habitat protection, anti-poaching initiatives, community engagement, and scientific research. These combined efforts have created a conducive environment for the snow leopard population to flourish within the park’s boundaries and adjoining areas.