New Delhi, August 27: India has highlighted its science-based advances in snow leopard conservation, including population estimation, radio telemetry and genetic analysis, at a Russian-Indian Roundtable Meeting on Snow Leopard Study and Conservation held in Moscow on August 26.
The meeting was held at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences under a partnership between the Interregional Association ‘Irbis’ and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
The Indian delegation, led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), highlighted the country’s growing use of scientific tools for monitoring and conserving snow leopards. Officials from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) elaborated on advances in population estimation, radio telemetry and genetic analysis.
Snow leopards are an important component of the high-altitude Himalayan ecosystem of Jammu & Kashmir, including the remote mountain landscapes of the Kashmir region and adjoining trans-Himalayan areas. Their conservation is closely linked to protecting fragile mountain habitats and prey populations and strengthening scientific monitoring.
The Moscow meeting brought together representatives of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the A.N. Severtsov Institute, Moscow Zoo, Rosprirodnadzor and leading experts in snow leopard research and conservation.
The discussions focused on advancing collaborative approaches to snow leopard research, monitoring and conservation, with participants exchanging scientific knowledge and field experiences.
The partnership between the Interregional Association ‘Irbis’ and IBCA was formalised in December 2025 with the objective of strengthening international cooperation in snow leopard research and conservation.
The roundtable provided an important platform for India and its international partners to strengthen cooperation in scientific study, population monitoring and long-term conservation of the species across its Himalayan and Central Asian range.
