The two-hour ride from Leh to the village of Ulley, one of the smallest villages in Sham Valley, is scenic and punctuated by photo pit stops. After a quick check-in at The Snow Leopard Lodge which houses tourists interested in seeing the snow leopard, or ‘shan’ as it is locally known, I set out to explore the neighbourhood. Ulley has a population of only about 40 people, and you can walk around the entire village in one evening.
As I wander around, crunching snow under my feet, taking in the pure beauty, a lady sitting on her front porch waves at me. Nilza Angmo runs a home stay and offers to show me around. “Out of the six families that live in Ulley, four have turned their homes into homestays,” she says. While I munch on stran maa or roasted peas and labooor Ladakhi cottage cheese, Angmo continues, “Women run homestays which let tourists experience local culture and cuisine. It helps supplement our income. The men work as snow leopard spotters and trackers.”
Caption: In India, the snow leopard’s territory includes the lofty reaches of the Himalayan mountain range, where its thick fur protects it when temperatures go as low as -40 degree Celsius. Photo: Khursheed Dinshaw
The snow leopard, an alpine species, is typically a solitary creature that is specially adapted to thrive in some of the coldest mountain ranges.
Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Starting home stays in Ulley, Rong, and Mangyu villages is an initiative led by the Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust, an organisation that works towards protecting snow leopards and their habitats in Ladakh. The initiative was first started in 2003, and in the last 17 years, the income generated from tourists, has helped change the villagers’ approach towards the ghost cat. Part of the profit of the home stay model is ploughed into community conservation efforts such as popularising local cuisines, and building the local, traditional crafts industry that can produce souvenirs for tourists.
But what makes Ulley special is how locals that were once hostile to the feline, have now embraced its presence, and participate in conserving it. Snow leopards used to regularly prey on domestic livestock. Villagers, who depended on livestock for their livelihood, were known to kill snow leopards for revenge for the damages they suffered. “Our earlier generations used matchlock guns to kill the cat. Most of our livestock pens had open roofs, which provided the leopard easy access. Under the aegis of the Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust, we have installed wire meshes which act as a roof over our pens preventing snow leopards from entering them,” explains Stanzin Farma, manager of The Snow Leopard Lodge.
Another initiative included setting up camera traps in the Rumbak village, in Eastern Ladakh, and in Ulley. The camera traps were set across an area of 5,000 sq kms to ascertain the population of the elusive cat — 39 snow leopards were accounted for. Training was also provided to villagers to make souvenirs from locally available wool — little figurines of the snow leopard and other species found around the area are popular among tourists. This additional income also helped offset the livestock loss caused by snow leopards.
In Ulley village, a roof mesh is put in place to prevent snow leopards from entering the shed and attacking livestock.
Photo: Khursheed Dinshaw
The next day, by early morning, the spotters have already glued themselves to their telescopes at a strategic point of the village. About an hour later, there is pronounced excitement. A corpse of an animal or ‘kill’, probably hunted by the snow leopard, is located by Tchewang Norbu, the chief spotter of Ulley, and his team.
We hurriedly drive up to the site, our anticipation at its peak. Will the snow leopard still be there when we reach? Will it make an appearance? Half an hour later, our motley group is gathered 150 feet above the Srinagar Leh National Highway looking at a ridge above us. And then the snow leopard appears briefly. I awe at its bushy tail, majestic gait and quick agility. The snow leopard is a master of disguise and it just as quickly blends into the surroundings and disappears. We catch glimpses of the snow leopard for about 90 minutes, making me forget the numbing -27 degree Celcius temperature we were braving through. Once he left, we drank hot chocolate to warm our now freezing bodies.
The following day, Norbu took us to sight a Himalayan golden eagle’s nest and a fleeting herd of urial. But Norbu’s heart lies with the grey ghost. His love for it is evident when, during the ride, he mentions some of his adventures with the snow leopard. “We have a Ladakhi proverb which says a snow leopard is as beautiful as ten women, as strong as ten men and as wise as ten astronomers,” he adds.
Local communities have started benefitting from tourists who travel to Ulley to spot the ghost cat. (Left) Tchewang Norbu is one of the most well-known snow leopard spotters in Sham Valley. (Right) Dr Tsewang Namgail, director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy- India Trust (SLC-IT), invests in involving local communities in conservation efforts to build a positive relationship with the wild cat. Photos: Khursheed Dinshaw
During my stay, apart from learning about snow leopards, I enjoy some sumptuous Ladakhi meals. In the home of another local, Tsewang Dolma, we break Ladakhi thick bread called Khambir and slurp butter tea — a concoction of milk, butter, and salt — for breakfast. Dolma’s son Rinchen Namgail, who is in the Indian Army, is home for a few days on leave. He recounts how his grandfather was wary of snow leopards as they attacked livestock, but his dad works as a tracker and educates visitors about the importance of protecting the cat. He mentions an old incident — when a Ladakhi realised his goats and sheep were attacked, he went on a revenge killing spree of the predator. “As many as 60 livestock were attacked in a single night and that was a big loss for him as he was entirely dependent on them,” says Rinchen.
Due to shrinking habitat, climate change and increasing conflict with local communities, the snow leopard is listed ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. Photo: Dhritiman Mukherjee
Before travelling to Ulley, I had met Dr Tsewang Namgail, the Director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy – India Trust in Leh, who spoke at length about conservation activities and community driven initiatives in the villages of Ladakh. One such endeavour has been the installation of deterrent lights called ‘fox lights’ which keep blinking at night to keep snow leopards at bay from human habitat. Apart from humans, feral dogs pose a big threat to snow leopards as they attack them in packs.
“Military camps have inadvertently become breeding hubs for feral dogs as they are fed leftover food at such camps. By initiating biogas production made from leftover food, the supply of food to feral dogs is stopped and this has reduced their rampant population,” opined Dr. Namgail over a cup of warm tea.
I also learn how the volunteers of the organisation are educating school kids about the ecological importance of snow leopards and engaging the monastic community of Ladakh. When monks talk about conservation to villagers, the locals are more receptive, I am told. And the results are showing. “From feeling threatened by snow leopards, to now being a part of conserving them, this has been a fulfilling and uplifting journey,” confirms Tsetan Puntsok, one of the trackers.
