A Snow Leopard Survey Inspires a Children’s Book
Partnership Note: Snow Leopard Trust works in India in partnership with the Nature Conservation Foundation, whose field team has worked with communities in Spiti for many years.
For the first time, researchers have completed a scientific estimate of snow leopards in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The two-year survey, conducted from 2022 to 2024, covered more than 15,000 square kilometers. It documented at least 21 adult snow leopards across the region, along with other high-altitude wildlife, including Asiatic ibex, musk deer, and Himalayan brown bears.
The findings give wildlife managers and conservation partners a stronger basis for identifying important habitat, directing future monitoring, and measuring changes over time. Records of prey and other high-altitude species also provide a fuller picture of the ecosystem snow leopards depend on.
Dr. Munib Khanyari, Snow Leopard Trust’s new Country Director for India, led the research with his team at the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department. Munib has worked with the Trust’s India program for several years through NCF, Snow Leopard Trust’s country partner in India.
Local communities were central to the surveys. People shared detailed knowledge of seasonal landscape use and helped the team understand when and how to reach remote areas. Researchers supplied the technical tools, including camera traps positioned at carefully selected sites for 60-day cycles, while community members served as hosts and guides and provided invaluable traditional local knowledge.
“Jammu and Kashmir is often written about through the lens of political instability, while its biodiversity gets much less attention,” Munib said. “We used the snow leopard as a way to shift that narrative and highlight these high mountain landscapes and their wildlife.”
The work did not end with the data. Months spent tracking snow leopards and observing the region’s wildlife became the foundation for The Lost Snow Leopard: A Himalayan Adventure. The picture book follows Burfila, a fictional young snow leopard searching for territory of his own, through landscapes modeled on Jammu and Kashmir. Its ecological details, characters, and settings draw directly from what the team learned during fieldwork.
Supported by a National Geographic Society Meridian grant, Munib, wildlife photographer Prasenjeet Yadav, and botanical illustrator Nirupa Rao wrote the book. All three are National Geographic Explorers. Prasenjeet’s photographs provide the mountain settings, while Nirupa’s watercolor illustrations introduce Burfila and the plants and animals he meets along the way. They include Lhamo the Bearded Vulture, Saqina the Stoat, and Jogi the Saussurea flower. Educator Mehreen Khaleel is helping bring the book to local audiences.
“The main purpose of the book is to inspire awe for the landscapes and wildlife of Jammu and Kashmir,” Munib said. “We want young people to feel excited about the nature around them and build a positive connection with it. It is meant to inspire, rather than teach specific research skills.”
Copies have been printed in India, and Munib plans to use the book to engage children in Kashmir.
Education and outreach are part of Snow Leopard Trust’s conservation work. Through school programs, nature clubs, eco-camps, and other activities, country teams help young people living in snow leopard landscapes learn about local wildlife and ecosystems.
By placing a young snow leopard within a recognizable local landscape, The Lost Snow Leopard aims to help children see Burfila as part of a larger mountain ecosystem rather than as a distant or mysterious animal. It connects scientific research with a story they can explore and share, helping a new generation understand and care for the mountains they call home.
The Lost Snow Leopard: A Himalayan Adventure is available through the Nature Conservation Foundation’s online store. Shipping is only available in India. For international orders, please contact artist Nirupa Rao directly through her book page.
Sign up for our monthly E-Newsletter to get all the latest updates about the cats in our long-term ecological study.
Photo credits: Nature Conservation Foundation, India
Acknowledgments: We want to thank all of our incredible supporters for making this work possible.
Related
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
