A beautiful image of a snow leopard has been captured on a camera installed in the Sumna area ahead of Malari under Nanda Devi National Park. As many as 70 trap cameras have been installed by the Forest Department in the areas under the national park, which capture unique images of snow leopards and other rare species of wild animals, like musk deer, and monal, among others.
Bibi Martolia, the park's forest conservator, reported that the Forest Department of Nanda Devi National Park has been capturing images of snow leopards in motion using trap cameras on a regular basis.
She said that, in a survey report by the Indian Wildlife Institute, almost 33 snow leopards are currently present in the Nanda Devi Park area, which is positive news for the forest department.
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Notably, snow leopards can be found at an altitude between 15,000 and 16,000 feet. The Malari National Highway, which links India and China, is a prime location to spot snow leopards.
When the higher Himalayan region experiences more snowfall, the snow leopards head for the lower regions. These valleys are home to rare animals in addition to snow leopards.
According to the Snow Leopards Population Assessment in India (SPAI) exercise that started in 2019, Uttarakhand has recorded a noteworthy population of 124 snow leopards, placing it second after Ladakh, which boasts 477.
The 'Status of Snow Leopard in India' report, which was released a few months ago, is the first scientific attempt to estimate the number of snow leopards in the Indian Himalayan territories, 618 to be exact.