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Himachal Pradesh is home to 83 snow leopards according to the results of its second state-wide population assessment of the species, a statement by the Wildlife Wing of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department on October 17, 2025, noted.
The department, along with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), conducted a survey across the state’s high-altitude landscapes for over a year.
The survey was done using large‑scale camera‑trapping across six representative sites of the 26,000 square kilometre snow leopard habitat.
It detected 44 unique adult snow leopards, the same as in the 2021 assessment. These individuals were photographed 262 times, leading to an estimated state-wide population of 83 snow leopards (excluding cubs).
The snow leopard density was found to range between 0.16 to 0.53 individuals per 100 sq km, with the trans-Himalayan regions of Spiti and Pin valley, followed by Upper Kinnaur and Tabo, recording the highest densities.
“The camera trap deployment was led by eight local youth from Kibber village in Spiti, who have been engaged in such studies since 2010. They were joined by 20 frontline officers from the Spiti Forest Division and 15 community members. Notably, this was the first survey globally where an indigenous women’s team from Kibber participated in data analysis—an important milestone in community-based conservation,” the statement noted.
The survey, supported by the Snow Leopard Trust and Royal Enfield Social Mission, also analysed camera trap data to map distributions of other mammals using ensemble modelling.
Updated maps were generated for key prey species such as blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Himalayan ibex (Capra sibirica), and musk deer (Moschus leucogaster). Other species recorded include the Himalayan wolf, brown bear, common leopard, red fox, stone marten, mountain weasel, and yellow-throated marten.
The study reported the first official record of Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) in Kinnaur, and the rediscovery of the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) in Lahaul.
While most snow leopard detections were recorded within protected areas such as Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Great Himalayan National Park, Sechu Tuan Nala, and Asrang Wildlife Sanctuaries, many were also found outside protected areas.
“This underscores the vital role of local communities in safeguarding snow leopard habitats and highlights the growing importance of community-based conservation across the state,” the statement obseved.