Snow leopards are found and breed all year-round in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a landmark, three-year camera trapping study conducted by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Wildlife Protection Department of Jammu & Kashmir has confirmed.
Researchers conducted the survey between 2022 and 2025 across the Kishtwar Himalayas under the nationwide Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) protocol.
The presence of snow leopards was confirmed for the first time in earlier years. In 2024-25 though, the elusive cats were recorded during winter months in both Paddar (Jammu division) and Zojila (Kashmir division).
“This suggests year-round use of the landscape, a critical indicator of stable habitat and a resident population,” a joint statement issued by the NCF and the J&K Wildlife Protection Department said.
The statement added that, “Over 3,000 camera trap nights across Kishtwar High Altitude National Park (KHANP), Paddar, and Zojila resulted in the identification of at least 12 adult snow leopards, with an estimated presence of up to 20 individuals. Notably, the presence of at least a mother with cubs in Kishtwar confirms that this is a breeding population.”
According to the researchers, the findings reaffirm the importance of Jammu and Kashmir as a key snow leopard stronghold. “It is time to treat the Kishtwar Himalayas not as isolated valleys, but as part of an interconnected conservation landscape,” the statement quoted Shahid Hameed, Wildlife Research and Project Coordinator at NCF.
Interestingly, camera traps also captured both snow leopards and common leopards at the same locations. This, according to the scientists, raises important questions about species interactions and the possible impact of climate change on range shifts.
Other species captured by the camera traps included the rare Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf, common leopard, Kashmir musk deer, stone marten, pika, Asiatic ibex, and red fox.
The exercise also revealed livestock depredation to be a major challenge impacting the primary livelihood of the over 300 local households across Paddar, Warwan, Dacchan and Marwah.
“The report underscores the need for landscape-level, adaptive conservation strategies, in line with the vision of Project Snow Leopard and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which places strong emphasis on the role of local communities in conservation,” the statement concluded.