Women Lead Snow Leopard Recovery

In the stark, wind-scoured cold desert of Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh, the snow leopard was once viewed chiefly as a threat to rural livelihoods. For families whose economic security depends on goats, sheep and yaks, a single night-time raid by a predator could erase months of effort. Retaliatory attitudes were therefore common, and the elusive cat—often called the “ghost of the mountains”—was regarded with fear and resentment. Over recent years, however, a remarkable shift has taken root. At the heart of this change stands a collective of local women known as the Shenmo—literally “guardians of the snow leopard”, from shen, the local name for the species.

The Shenmo have moved beyond symbolic advocacy to practical conservation. Members have been trained to deploy camera traps across high-altitude corridors, record field data on tracks and habitat use, and analyse images on computers to identify individual animals. For many, formal schooling ended in primary years, yet hands-on training has enabled them to master digital tools and standard wildlife monitoring protocols. Their work requires formidable endurance: after completing household duties at dawn, they trek for hours in sub-zero temperatures, placing and retrieving cameras at elevations exceeding 14,000 feet, where thin air and sudden blizzards are constant hazards.

The results are measurable. Systematic monitoring has improved the accuracy of population estimates and informed protection measures across key habitats. According to recent counts, the snow leopard population in Himachal Pradesh rose from 51 individuals in 2021 to 83 in 2024, reflecting both better detection and a genuine recovery trend linked to reduced persecution and improved coexistence practices.

Equally significant is the social transformation under way. When livestock losses occur, Shenmo members help households enrol in government-backed insurance and compensation schemes, easing the financial shock that once fuelled anger towards predators. They also promote predator-proof corrals and night-time enclosures, reducing the likelihood of attacks. As a result, retaliatory killings have declined, and attitudes within villages have softened from hostility to cautious stewardship.

Conservationists argue that such community-led approaches are indispensable in fragile mountain ecosystems, where enforcement alone cannot secure wildlife. In Spiti, the women are no longer auxiliary helpers but skilled conservation practitioners whose local knowledge complements scientific methods. What began as modest paid work has evolved into a vocation grounded in pride and responsibility. By safeguarding the snow leopard, the Shenmo are also protecting the ecological balance of their valley—demonstrating that durable conservation is forged not only in policy rooms, but in the daily courage of communities who choose coexistence over conflict.