Russia-India Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study and Conservation

Why in News?
India highlighted its advances in science-based snow leopard conservation, including population estimation, radio telemetry and genetic analysis, at the Russia-India Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study and Conservation held in Moscow on 26 August 2026.

Key Points:

• The meeting was organised at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences.
• It was held under a partnership between Inter-regional Association ‘Irbis’ and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
• The partnership agreement was signed in December 2025 to strengthen international cooperation in snow leopard research and conservation.
• India highlighted the use of:
  • Population estimation
  • Radio telemetry for tracking movements and habitat use
  • Genetic analysis for understanding populations and genetic diversity

About Snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

• The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
• It inhabits high-altitude mountainous regions across 12 Asian countries.
• In India, it is primarily found in the high-altitude, cold, arid and rugged landscapes of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Snow leopards are generally solitary and elusive, with peak activity around dawn and dusk.
• Their major prey includes ibex, argali and blue sheep.
• Some individuals can have exceptionally large home ranges of up to 1,000 sq km.
• The snow leopard is the State Animal of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

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