Snow Leopard Day: India has 718 snow leopards, Ladakh leads with 477
Why in the news
On International Day of the Snow Leopard (23 October 2026), Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh highlighted that India’s first national survey counted 718 snow leopards, with 477 in Ladakh.
Key facts
- UN recognition: the UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in 2024 through Resolution A/RES/79/143.
- Origin: the Bishkek Declaration, adopted on 23 October 2013 at the Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum in Kyrgyzstan, first named the date.
- SPAI: the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India ran from 2019 to 2023, with the Wildlife Institute of India as national coordinator.
- Status: Panthera uncia is Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; it is called the “Ghost of the Mountains”.
- Range: 12 countries including India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Central Asian states.
| State/UT | Estimated snow leopards |
|---|---|
| Ladakh | 477 |
| Uttarakhand | 124 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 51 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 36 |
| Sikkim | 21 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 9 |
| Total | 718 |
About SPAI
The survey covered about 1.2 lakh sq km of trans-Himalayan habitat, over 70% of the likely range in India. It used occupancy sampling followed by camera traps at 1,971 locations, which photographed 241 unique animals. NCF Mysuru and WWF-India were conservation partners.
Exam angle
- Ladakh holds about two-thirds of India’s snow leopards; J&K has the fewest (9).
- Remember 23 October, Bishkek 2013, A/RES/79/143.
- The government also notified privileges and immunities for the International Big Cat Alliance under the UN (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947.