Ladakh has a distinct alpine, floral and faunal variety. Several flowering plants, a dozen important mammals and over a hundred species of birds are found here in this rugged terrain. Most of the species are classified as endangered or rare.

The wild yak is to be found only here. Other animals include the ibex, blue sheep, bharal, docile marmot and mouse hare. Black necked crane, bar-headed geese, ducks and several other water birds breed near the lakes in thousands. The avid bird watcher can spend friutful hours by observing Bactrian magpies, grey tits, chough, raven, sparrow, kite, kestrel, Turkoman rock pigeon, chukor, finches, buntings, larks, desert wheateaters, a many more varieties of birds.

The snow leopard is Ladakh's most rare animal. Another one that is unique is the kyang or the wild horse, while at lower altitudes the musk deer too is a rare sight, precious by virtue of its expensive musk. Visitors are likely to spot many marmots, mouse hares, stone martens, red foxes, wolves, ibex, bharal and shapu during the course of their journey but the habitat of the nyan (big horned sheep), chim (Tibetan antelope famed for its fleece-Shahtoosh), goa (Tibetan gazelle), lynx, pallas cat, kyamg (wild horse) and brong dong (wild yak) are still outside the tourists' domain.



Yak

The largest animal of the cold desert is the yak (dong), a yak wild ox. First described only a century ago by the famous Russian naturalist-- explorer, N.M.Przewalski, the wild yak is definitely more imposing than its placid domestic counterpart. Immensely shaggy and weighing about a tone it has curved horns whose tips can be as wide apart as 90 cm. and measure 76 cm. over the curves. It can easily be distinguished by its long black hair, which is tinged with gray at the muzzle. Spending its summers at a height above 6,000 meters, in winter it moves in herds to the lakes, marshes and lower valleys


Nayan

All the world's sheep are closely related and zoologists generally believe that each kind is only a variation of the same species. The largest and most magnificent of wild sheep is the nyan also called the Great Tibetan sheep (Ovis ammon). Roughly 200 of these antelope - like animals are found in the extreme eastern portion of Ladakh. The horns of the nyan measure up to 145 cm. and the animal normally remains at a great height, rarely descending to a level below 4,500 meters.



Urial

The urial or shapu, (Ovis orientalis), which weighs 85 Kg. and has horns measuring upto 99 cm., is the smallest of the world sheep in eastern Asia, its body just about as tall as its horns. These sheep prefer the grassy mountain slopes, usually at a height of 3,000-4,000 meters. The meeting of this species, as is the case with most sheep during December-January and they give birth to their young around May. The need for protection of the urial is great as they are with in easy reach of hunters. Their numbers have been declining rapidly and it is estimated that there are no more than 500 in Ladakh, while a survey by the Wildlife Department of Jammu & Kashmir puts another population in the Markha and Rumbak valleys at only around 34-50.The most common and wide spread of the sheep in the Ladakh region is the bharal or the blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur). Found at an altitude of almost 6,000 meters, in summer they graze in huge herds on the rich and abundant grasses of the alpine meadows. Their brownish-gray coloring provides them with protective camouflage and as they often stand motionless they can be extremely difficult to spot but, when alarmed, bharal will bolt swiftly to safety. Strangely, bharal seem to bear some morphological traits of both sheep and goats.



Ibex

Of the goats in the region, ibex (Capra ibex) are the most distinctive and beautiful. Sporting a pair of fine curved, spiral horns measuring as much as 147 cm. (the largest on record), the large stocky ibex normally move in herds of 10-16.They prefer the black precipitous rocks and cliffs and consequently roam much higher than the smaller wild goats, descending, however, in winter to lower altitudes to feed and shelter. The Wildlife Department of J&K estimate that around 250 ibex exist in Kanji Nala.

Inhabiting the steppes of this Tibetan plateau are too small creatures not generally associated with high altitudes, the Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) and the chiru (Pantholops hodgsoni). The former, sighted very rarely on the eastern fringe of Ladakh, sport horns measuring 36 cm. and are generally seen in herds of 5-10. The later also called Tibetan antelopes, are strange little animals with beautiful horns measuring up to 69 cm. Chiru inhabit the Aksai Chin and Tibetan plateau, usually above 5,000 meters. Also found in western Ladakh are the much persecuted musk deer and kiangs- the handsome , sleek, rust and white colored wild asses, whose estimated population is around 1,500.



Predators
(Snow leopard, Brown bear, Wolf, Lynx)

High in the mountains, this solitary animal hunts goats, ibex, blue sheep and shapu by following them up and down the slopes in their seasonal migration. During the winter, snow leopards stalk the lower mountains, often feeding on domestic stock. Observations seem to indicate that this animal hunts in the early morning and late afternoons. Despite the heavy toll taken by poachers, the population of the snow leopard in Ladakh is estimated to be roughly 200. With almost 40-50 skins smuggled out of Ladakh in the 1950's, 30-40 in the 1960's and 10-15 still being slipped out, the main enemy of this animal is, undoubtedly, man. Two other carnivores inhabiting this mountain home for the great bears.

The medium-sized Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thlbetanus), a forest dweller, is found up to heights of 4,500 meters in the summer. Like most bears it feeds on practically anything ranging from fruit and ripe corn to sheep, goats, deer and even termites. Its usual home is in dug-out hollows or caves. Further up the mountain lives the more adaptive brown bear (Ursus arctos) which has a population of around 200(of which approximately 20 are found in the Kargil area- the rest in the Zanskar valley). Three or four pairs of black bears have also been spotted here during the months of July and August when fruits like apricots and apples ripen.

The wolf population in Ladakh is likely to be around 300 and consists of two basic varieties. The northern race is light fawn and brown whereas the southern is invariably darker. These wolves, probably the most hated predators in Ladakh, hunt in pairs and move over vast territories. It is observed one particular regularly moving across a narrow valley at dusk. The red fox exists in larger numbers but many are, unfortunately trapped for fur. From western Ladakh alone, about skins are possibly smuggled out every year. The stone marten, a pretty, alert and active animal is also hunted for its fur; again about 400 skins are smuggled out annually.



Snow leopard

The snow leopard inhabits the high mountains of Central Asia, and within India, is found along the northern border, in  Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir includes a large area of potential habitat and reports indicate that a relatively undistributed snow leopard population may exist in a few sites. Since the Ladakh area is known to support snow leopard populations, and some of the habitat is fairly accessible, this may prove to be a feasible study site for ecological investigation. The snow leopard is considered endangered in every region in which it is found. Three factors contribute towards a decline in its population. Firstly, the animal is hunted by the locals for its valuable pelt and also to protect livestock. Secondly, ungulate prey of the snow leopard, wild sheep and goats, have been reduced by hunting for human consumption and thirdly, domestic livestock has displaced wild ungulates from their grazing areas. If this trend continues, it is doubtful whether the snow leopard will survive, except in a few isolated areas or in captivity. The Fifth International Snow Leopard Symposium , which took place from October 13-15,1986, in Srinagar, was attended by representatives from over 21 countries. Its basic purpose is to promote measures and exchange information which will help to ensure the perpetuation of viable breeding populations of the species.

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