Ladakh to launch India's first high-altitude wildlife safari, LG approves eco-tourism initiative
As part of initiative, 20 local youths will be selected and trained in birdwatching, bird identification and bird-spotting skills and equipped with binoculars.
Ladakh will inaugurate India's inaugural high-altitude wildlife safari, with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena endorsing guided jeep tours along snow leopard trails and birdwatching routes. This move aims to foster sustainable eco-tourism, empowering local communities in wildlife preservation and economic uplift. The decision emerged from the inaugural governing body meeting of the newly-formed snow leopard and high-altitude nature (SHAN) conservation society, chaired by the LG.
The forest department is tasked with introducing regulated safari tours in snow leopard and birdwatching hotspots, modeled after successful parks like Kaziranga and Ranthambore. These will be operated by trained local drivers and guides using specially designed open-back vehicles. The initiative also seeks to deter illegal off-roading and reduce wildlife disturbance while enhancing the visitor experience through eco-friendly tourism.
The forest department must identify suitable safari routes across Hemis national park, Changthang, Karakoram wildlife sanctuaries, and other areas renowned for snow leopard sightings and rich birdlife. To support this, 20 local youths will receive training in birdwatching and identification, provided with binoculars, and ten birdwatching hides will be established at key observation points.
Ladakh boasts the largest snow leopard population in India, with an estimated 477 individuals, alongside over 38 mammal species, 340 bird species, and nearly 1,800 vascular plant species, rendering it a significant biodiversity hotspot. The SHAN society, formed on June 16, is responsible for devising a comprehensive roadmap for community-led conservation, waste management, plastic-free tourism, sustainable livelihoods, and responsible tourism across Ladakh.
The society envisions a governance framework where local communities assume active roles in safeguarding the region's fragile ecosystem while reaping economic benefits from conservation-linked tourism. Ladakh's unique wildlife and delicate high-altitude environment are its most valuable natural assets. Conservation efforts can only succeed when local communities are equal partners in protecting nature and reap economic rewards from it.
Saxena emphasized that through SHAN, Ladakh aims to establish a global model of community-led conservation and responsible high-altitude mountain tourism.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
