A new population benchmark
In the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh, Hemis National Park is a vast protected area of 4,400 square kilometers. The park is the setting for research that has reshaped our understanding of the snow leopard, Panthera uncia. A comprehensive study published in the journal PLOS ONE used a double-sampling method involving sign surveys and an extensive network of 956 camera traps to document the elusive cats. The results were unexpected. The study revealed that Hemis National Park has the highest recorded density of snow leopards anywhere in the world.
The camera traps, sometimes baited with perfume to attract the curious felines, identified 126 unique individuals based on their distinct forehead markings. Analysis of this data established a density in the park of about 2.07 snow leopards per 100 square kilometers. This figure is significantly higher than the typical global range for the species, which generally falls between 0.92 and 1.8 individuals per 100 km². Before this study, the highest known densities were found in parts of Tibet. The findings from Hemis established a new global benchmark and indicated that the total population of snow leopards, once estimated between 4,000 and 6,500, might be larger than previously thought. The overall population of Ladakh is now estimated to be 477 individuals, which accounts for nearly 68% of India's total snow leopard population of 709.