Camera traps set up in the park before the winter have been recovered, and they reveal several pictures of snow leopards. Three snow leopards were seen on video in Kishtwar High Altitude National Park’s Renai catchment area, where they were frolicking in the snowy scenery. The camera trap pictures reveal how well adapted this evasive species is to the harsh highland habitat of Kishtwar.
Many rare and endangered plant and animal species may be found in Kishtwar High Altitude National Park. It has beautiful alpine meadows, snowy peaks, and verdant woods, and is an important animal migration route.
Suresh Kumar Gupta, Chief Wildlife Warden, was overjoyed by the discovery and praised the work of the investigation team headed by Dr. Kumar MK, I, Regional Wildlife Warden, Jammu, and Majid Bashir Mintoo, Wildlife Warden, Chenab Division, Kishtwar. He elaborated by saying that the camera trap sightings of snow leopards proved the park’s conservation efforts, which include habitat preservation, anti-poaching measures, public outreach, and academic study, were successful. Together, these initiatives have made the park and its surrounding regions ideal for the growth of the Snow Leopard population.
The snow leopard is a keystone species that plays a crucial role in preserving the ecosystem’s equilibrium. Kishtwar High Altitude National Park protects a wide variety of animals, including the endangered Himalayan ibex, the endangered musk deer, and many bird species, in part by preserving this top predator. A snow leopard was recently seen in the Renai region, highlighting the need for community, government, and conservation group collaboration to conserve vulnerable animals. Prior to this, the Department of Wildlife Protection recorded two leopards (one adult and one sub-adult) in a single frame of a video trap in Nanth Nallah through contracted scientific investigation. This research contributes to the department’s ongoing efforts to assess the Snow Leopard population and describe the biodiversity of protected areas.
