(In collaboration with International Snow Leopard Trust)

NCF and ISLT work together in India’s high altitudes, striving to help conserve the snow leopard – as well as the diversit...

Lack of adequate conservation training and robust monitoring are important challenges for the conservation of the endangered snow leopard across its range in Central Asia.

Tibetan argali (Ovis ammon hodgsoni), locally known as nyan, is the rarest among the wild sheep. This argali subspecies inhabits the widest distribution, covering c. 2.5 million km² across the Tibetan Plateau and its margins and is one among the two argali subspecies categorised as endangered by the IUCN.

Why do some areas have more wild species than others? In this project, we are examining the causes of variation in species richness of Trans-Himalayan mountain ungulates. We are attempting to understand how species live together and interact with each other, and what factors govern their distribution.

Sensitization and empowerment of local communities is critical for achieving sustained conservation. We have intiated a comprehensive conservation awareness and education effort for local communities living in the Himalayan high altitudes.

Upscaling successful conservation models remains a global challenge. Encouraged by the results of our conservation research and small-scale conservation efforts, we have undertaken an ambitious effort to catalyze the formulation of Project Snow Leopard, a science-based, participatory national policy for promoting wildlife conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes.

When a snow leopard kills a domestic yak, the affected family loses money, time, and the numerous goods and services for which it depends on livestock. It is difficult for wildlife to survive when its most important custodians, the local people, bear such high costs of conservation. We are working with several Trans-Himalayan communities to assist in off-setting these costs and promoting the conservation of snow leopards and wolves.

Local communities have lived and traditionally used resources in many wild landscapes. Conservation efforts that exclude and marginalize people are morally unacceptable and practically unsuccessful. Conservation must involve and benefit local communites for it to succeed. We have worked with two village councils in Trans-Himalayan Spiti Valley to establish informal, community managed wildlife reserves.

Trans-Himalaya is home to unique wildlife and fascinating peoples, who eke out a living from a harsh landscape. Livestock play a vital role for people's survival, but are often detrimental to wildlife. All available pastures are grazed. In a unique experiment in participatory conservation, we worked with the village council of Kibber to set up a village wildlife reserve on common land that is protected from grazing and other landuse.  

Markhor, an impressive wild goat, was thought to have been lost from India until recent surveys discovered a few surviving populations in Kashmir along the border with Pakistan. This politically sensitive area is also subject to insurgency. Can the markhor survive into the future? We are trying to understand the basic ecology of this enigmatic species in order to assist in its long-term conservation planning.

When people and wildlife share resources, there can be conflicts. As cashmere or pashmina production gets commercialized in Ladakh, the traditional tolerance of local people for the kiang has eroded. The species is believed to compete for scarce forage with the cashmere-producing changra goats. We have assessed the causes and consequences of this conflict in an effort to harmonize livestock production with kiang conservation.

Research results are sometimes perturbing, as was the case when we discovered that the Tibetan gazelle is nearly extinct in Ladakh. Did we find out too late? Perhaps, but perhaps not. We have since conducted rapid research to assess the causes of its decline, and to understand its habitat requirements. We are now working with local communities and the government to avert the imminent extinction of this fascinatng species in eastern Ladakh.

Domestic livestock graze alongside the wild ibex in the Trans-Himalayan high altitudes. We conducted scientific studies to understand their relationships with each other. We examined whether they share their food, or they compete with each other. Our results are relevant for conservation management of the ibex.

In addition to feeding on wild prey, snow leopards are believed to extensively kill livestock, which results in conflicts with pastoral people. Are snow leopards really dependent on livestock? We studied the diet of the snow leopard, and also attempted to understand local people's attitudes towards the endangered species, with the aim of promoting better conflict management.

Robust conservation planning requires robust science. In a pioneering scientific initiative, we conducted extensive studies on wildlife ecology and human societies of the Trans-Himalaya, which set a new direction for conservation research in the region, as well as laid the foundations for our own conservation and policy initiatives.