Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the constitution of the first-of-its-kind “Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature” (SHAN) Conservation Society in Ladakh.
According to an official statement, the Society will serve as a dedicated institutional mechanism for wildlife conservation, scientific biodiversity management and community-led environmental stewardship across the Union Territory.
The Society will promote, support and mobilise resources for wildlife conservation and habitat protection, eco-development in areas inhabited by snow leopards and associated species, and the promotion of eco-tourism and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
Officials said that since assuming charge as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Saxena has consistently placed environmental protection and ecological resilience at the centre of governance priorities.
The establishment of the SHAN Conservation Society marks another significant milestone in this broader environmental agenda and is the result of the Lieutenant Governor’s sustained efforts and personal intervention to create a robust institutional framework for biodiversity conservation in Ladakh.
The Society has been established as a multi-stakeholder platform to promote conservation of Ladakh’s unique alpine fauna and flora, wetlands and fragile cold desert ecosystems. It will facilitate scientific monitoring and research, strengthen biodiversity management, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, promote community-led conservation initiatives and support sustainable eco-tourism and livelihood generation.
“Environmental protection has been one of our foremost priorities in Ladakh, where fragile mountain ecosystems require a development model that places conservation at its core. The snow leopard is not merely a wildlife species but an integral part of Ladakh’s ecological identity and natural heritage. The SHAN Conservation Society represents an important institutional initiative to promote science-based and community-driven conservation while ensuring ecological preservation and sustainable livelihoods progress together,” Saxena said.
The initiative assumes greater significance for the conservation of the snow leopard, the State Animal of Ladakh and one of the world’s most elusive and endangered big cats. Revered as the “Ghost of the Mountains”, the species is considered a keystone animal whose presence reflects the health of the entire Trans-Himalayan ecosystem.
Its conservation is intrinsically linked to the protection of mountain habitats, prey species, watersheds and biodiversity that sustain life in the region. The snow leopard has also emerged as a global symbol of Ladakh’s rich natural heritage and holds immense potential for promoting responsible eco-tourism and community-based conservation initiatives.
