Safari in snow leopard home? Conservationists say Ladakh is no Kaziranga

Ladakh
has
pla ed
to
i t oduce
guided
wildlife
safa is
o
popula
s ow
leopa d
a d
bi d-watchi g
t ails.

SRINAGAR:
A
safa i
ca
ca
oll
past
a
hi o
i
Kazi a ga.
I
Ra thambo e,
it
ca
t ack
a
tige .
Put
that
ca
i
Ladakh.
Fo
its
elusive
s ow
leopa ds
—
maste s
of
camouflage
i
a
la dscape
whe e
su vival
depe ds
o
stayi g
u see
—
the
questio
is
whethe
tou ism
ca
get
close
e ough
to
see
them
without
maki g
them
disappea
fo
good.Ladakh
has
pla ed
to
i t oduce
guided
wildlife
safa is
o
popula
s ow
leopa d
a d
bi d-watchi g
t ails,
t igge i g
wa i gs
f om
co se vatio ists
that
tu i g
a
f agile
high-altitude
wilde ess
i to
a
tou ist
ci cuit
could
distu b
wildlife,
comme cialise
off- oadi g
a d
ope
the
doo
to
oads,
eate ies
a d
othe
tou ism
i f ast uctu e.“You
ca ot
see
a
s ow
leopa d
f om
a
jeep
u less
you
do
somethi g
illegal
like
placi g
bait
o
a
sheep
to
lu e
it,”
said
D
MK
Ra jitsi h,
eme itus
membe
of
Wildlife
T ust
of
I dia,
who
has
spe t
ea ly
50
yea s
shapi g
co se vatio
st ategies
a d
played
a
key
ole
i
f ami g
the
Wildlife
(P otectio )
Act
of
1972
a d
P oject
Tige .“Kazi a ga
is
ot
Ladakh
a d
Ra thambo e
is
ot
Ladakh.
The
ecology
is
completely
diffe e t,”
he
added.I
Ladakh’s
ope
valleys,
vehicles
ca
be
visible
f om
miles
away.
Vegetatio
is
co ce t ated
alo g
valley
bottoms,
d awi g
a imals
the e
to
feed
a d
d i k.
“A e
you
taki g
a
safa i
the e?”
he
asked.Ladakh
is
home
to
477
of
I dia’s
estimated
718
s ow
leopa ds
—
the
cou t y’s
la gest
populatio .
It
also
suppo ts
mo e
tha
38
mammal
species,
340
bi d
species
a d
1,800
vascula
pla t
species.

But
spotti g
a
s ow
leopa d
is
a
eedle-i -a-haystack
affai .
Its
thick,
mottled
coat
melts
i to
ocky
slopes,
while
steep,
emote
te ai
gives
it
a
vast
atu al
adva tage.The
Ladakh
govt
spokespe so
said
lieute a t
gove o
Vi ai
Kuma
Saxe a
has
di ected
the
fo est
depa tme t
to
i t oduce
guided
safa is
modelled
o
atio al
pa ks
such
as
Kazi a ga
a d
Ra thambo e,
usi g
specially
desig ed
ope -back
vehicles
ope ated
by
t ai ed
local
d ive s
a d
guides.
Acco di g
to
govt,
the
move
is
aimed
at
p eve ti g
illegal
off- oadi g
a d
distu ba ce
of
wildlife.The
pla
was
clea ed
at
the
fi st
gove i g
body
meeti g
of
S ow
Leopa d
a d
High-Altitude
Natu e
Co se vatio
Society,
chai ed
by
Saxe a.
Fo est
officials
have
bee
asked
to
explo e
outes
ac oss
Hemis
atio al
pa k,
Cha gtha g
a d
Ka ako am
wildlife
sa ctua ies,
besides
Nub a,
Za ska ,
Sham,
Ka gil
a d
D ass.Ra jitsi h
fea s
a
diffe e t
oad
ahead.
“Wildlife
safa i
may
be
good
i
p i ciple
but
i
p actice
it
could
be
a
disaste ,”
he
said,
wa i g
that
tou ism
a d
hotel
lobbies
could
eve tually
ove whelm
govt
co t ols.
“The e
will
be
dema ds
fo
mo e
oads,
eati g
places
a d
othe
i f ast uctu e.
Eve tually,
the
whole
la dscape
could
tu
i to
a
festival.”

A
wildlife
official
said
safa is
wo k
best
whe e
a imals
occu
i
la ge
co ce t atio s
o
he ds
—
u like
Himalaya
a d
T a s-Himalaya
te ai .
Ladakh
al eady
has
oads
ac oss
its
p otected
a eas,
with
tou ist
vehicles
accessi g
most
zo es
except
some
est icted
bo de
egio s.“What
they
actually
pla
is
to
egula ise
a d
comme cialise
off- oadi g,”
the
official
said,
wa i g
that
vehicles
could
be
allowed
i to
f agile
meadows
fo
a
p ice.Kazi a ga
a d
Ra thambo e
we e
built
i to
I dia’s
safa i
imagi atio .
Ladakh’s
p oposed
safa i
would
ve tu e
i to
a
e ti ely
diffe e t
wo ld.
Its
s ow
leopa ds
a e
scatte ed
ac oss
a
u fo givi g
la dscape
whe e
the
fi st
ule
of
spotti g
o e
is
k owi g
whe e
ot
to
look.