Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment
Why in News?
Ladakh has announced India’s first-ever altitude wildlife safari in the region.
The Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature (SHAN) Conservation Society, chaired by the lieutenant governor, is figuring out possible safari routes in the region.
Hemis National Park, Changthang Valley, and Karakoram wildlife sanctuaries and landscapes such as Drass, Nubra, and Sham are included in the list.
SHAN, formed on 16 June, is encouraging responsible and plastic-free tourism across Ladakh.
With this step, the Ladakh government seeks to curb off-roading incidents and disturbance to wildlife.
It is the first govt model where local communities will be made equal partners in protecting and promoting Ladakh’s wildlife and benefiting economically.
India is home to 718 snow leopards, spread across the Himalayas.
The mountains of Ladakh are home to 477 of them, followed by Uttarakhand (124) and Himachal Pradesh (51).