IN SEARCH OF THE SNOW LEOPARD

Ladakh has a fauna very different from that of the rest of India. The appeal of Ladakh's wildlife lies not only in this uniqueness, but also from the remoteness and harshness of the land. Ladakh, consisting mainly of high plains, brackish lakes and deep valleys, is situated 2700 metres above the sea level. It is very sparsely populated and it is so cold in places like the Zanskar region that people and cattle remain indoors for much of the year. It gets less than 10 centimetres of rain on average annually. Its vegetation is stunted. The region has over 300 bird species and 30 mammals. This tour is meant for those who are purely interested in tracking and viewing the elusive snow leopard. The best time for this tour is between December to March when the Blue sheep come down the valley. The snow leopard of Central and South Asia has a life span of 15-18 years and is unable to roar because of the absence of the larynx. Well known for its beautiful fur, the snow leopard has a whitish-tan coat with ringed spots of dark, ashy-brown and rosettes of black. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottoms of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. Early snow can push wild animals on to lower slopes. It is also a time of rut of one of the major prey of snow leopard – the blue sheep or bharal. These large wild sheep aggregate on the lower slopes in large numbers. The rut takes place among the most rugged terrain and it allows us to watch them at relatively close range without having to climb the steep mountain slopes. Since these ungulates are favourite snow leopard prey and higher slopes are under snow cover, snow leopard follows its major prey to these slopes which means sightings are easier.