SRINAGAR: Ladakh will soon have a conservation society for its snow leopards. Lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved its constitution on Tuesday. The union territory houses the maximum number of snow leopards in the country.The society, Snow leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN), will work under the department of environment and forests, Ladakh, and act as a dedicated institutional mechanism for wildlife conservation, scientific management of biodiversity and community-led environmental stewardship.“Environmental protection has been one of our foremost priorities in Ladakh where fragile mountain ecosystems demand a development model that places conservation at its very core. The snow leopard is not merely a wildlife species; it is an integral part of Ladakh’s ecological identity and natural heritage,” Saxena said. As per the 2024 report of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India, the country has 718 snow leopards with Ladakh hosting 477.A govt spokesperson said, the society will also promote conservation of Ladakh’s unique alpine fauna, a variety of flora, wetlands and fragile cold desert ecosystems.“SHAN represents an important institutional initiative to promote science-based and community-driven conservation while ensuring that ecological preservation and sustainable livelihoods progress hand-in-hand,” Saxena added.
