Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh approved the constitution of the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN) Conservation Society

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh approved the constitution of the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN) Conservation Society

¨     Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh approved the constitution of the Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN) Conservation Society.

¨     The society will serve as a dedicated institutional mechanism for wildlife conservation, scientific biodiversity management, and community-led environmental stewardship in Ladakh’s mountain and cold desert ecosystems.

¨     The snow leopard is a large cat species adapted to high-altitude Himalayan and trans-Himalayan habitats.

¨     According to India’s 2024 Snow Leopard Population Assessment, India has 718 snow leopards, of which 477 are in Ladakh, the highest in the country.

¨     The SHAN Conservation Society will focus on conserving alpine fauna and flora, wetlands, and fragile cold desert ecosystems.

¨     Its functions include scientific monitoring, research, habitat protection, mitigation of human–wildlife conflict, eco-development, and sustainable livelihood promotion.

¨     The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh will serve as the Chairperson of the society.

¨     Ex-officio members include the Chief Secretary, the Member of Parliament from Ladakh, and the Chief Executive Councillors (CECs) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) in Leh and Kargil.

¨     Non-official members include Palga Rinpoche, Sejal Worah (WWF India), Sandesh Kadur (National Geographic Society), the President of the Women’s Alliance of Ladakh, and Ghulam Mohammad Khan.