21 snow leopards identified in Kishtwar park, breeding confirmed

A joint study by the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection and the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) has recorded 21 individual snow leopards in the Kishtwar High Altitude National Park (KHANP) using camera traps and the Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture model. The density was estimated at 0.35 individuals per 100 sq km, or about eight adults. Cameras also captured females with cubs, confirming a breeding population.

Across six landscapes in the Greater Himalayas, 193 camera traps were deployed. The study documented other species including Asiatic ibex, musk deer, Himalayan wolf, brown and black bears, and the first confirmed presence of the endangered woolly flying squirrel and wild boar in KHANP. Based on four years of fieldwork, researchers reported human-wildlife conflicts in 76 villages and stressed the need for conservation beyond protected areas.

The report, Status of Snow Leopards and Other High-Altitude Mammals in Jammu and Kashmir with a Focus on Kishtwar Himalayas, was released in August and last updated in June 2026. Preliminary findings from ongoing work in Paddar have confirmed snow leopard presence in multiple valleys including Hagyot and Barnaz. Researchers said sustained monitoring and community-led conservation are essential for the species' future in the region.