5 Places To Spot Snow Leopard In India

The elusive snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of the high Himalayas in India, at elevations from 3,000 to 4,500 m and listed as Vulnerable.The snow leopard inhabits Himalayan alpine forest in India and also known as gray ghost of Himalaya that live in the mountains of Central Asia.

Indian snow leopards prey upon the Himalayan blue sheep also known as bharal in the Himalayas and also eat Himalayan marmots, woolly hares, mountain wild goat and sheep, Snow leopards inhabit the following protected areas in India and the estimated population in between 200–600.

* Hemis National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

Hemis National Park in Ladakh region is famous for its majestic snow leopards, also the largest national park in India. The park is home to one of the largest breeding population of snow leopards in India and the apex predator prey upon Bharal, Shapu, Argali and Asiatic ibex.

* Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh

Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary is a high mountain village in Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh and home to unique houses made of stone. The sanctuary is home to around 30 rare and endangered snow leopard in Himachal Pradesh.

* Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve around the peak of Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers is a World Heritage Site. The park is home to a wide variety of flora and rare species of fauna such as Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr and Mainland serow.

* Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh is located around the Dibang Valley and home to rarest snow tiger in India. The valley is rich in wildlife for mammals including red goral, Mishmi takin, Gongshan muntjac, red panda, snow tiger and elusive snow leopard.

* Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim

Khangchendzonga National Park is the highest mountain and Mixed Heritage site of India, known for 550 species of birds including Himalayan Forest Thrush and mammal species including Tibetan wild ass, blue sheep, serow, goral and the apex predator snow leopard.