Ladakh Greenlights Conservation Body for Snow Leopards and Fragile High-Altitude Habitats
The society will focus on the conservation of snow leopards, their co-existing species, alpine flora, wetlands and other sensitive habitats.
Srinagar: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the constitution of the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature Conservation Society, known as SHAN, to support conservation efforts in the Union Territory’s high-altitude ecosystems.
Officials in Leh said the society has been set up as a dedicated institutional mechanism for wildlife conservation, biodiversity management and community participation in environmental protection across Ladakh’s fragile mountain and cold desert landscapes.
The society will focus on the conservation of snow leopards, their co-existing species, alpine flora, wetlands and other sensitive habitats. It is expected to promote scientific monitoring, research, habitat protection, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict, eco-development in areas inhabited by snow leopards and sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.
According to the administration, SHAN will serve as a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together government departments, conservation experts, community representatives and civil society members. The initiative is intended to combine science-based conservation with community-led stewardship and responsible eco-tourism.
“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. He added, “The SHAN Conservation Society 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.”
The snow leopard, Ladakh’s state animal, is considered a key indicator of the health of the Trans-Himalayan ecosystem. Conservationists say protecting the species also helps safeguard mountain habitats, prey populations, watersheds and biodiversity that support local communities in the region.
The Lt. Governor will chair the society. Its ex-officio members will include the Chief Secretary, the Member of Parliament from Ladakh, the Chief Executive Councillors of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils in Leh and Kargil, and the Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment.
Other members named for the society include Ven. Palga Rinpoche, head of Naljorling Monastery, Dr. Sejal Worah, Programme Director, WWF India, Sandesh Kadur, Explorer Trustee of the National Geographic Society Board of Trustees, the President of the Women’s Alliance of Ladakh, and Ghulam Mohammad Khan, Chairman of the Ladakh Centre for Peace and Sustainable Development.
