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Ladakh Travel
Wildlife of Ladakh
Destination Covered : Delhi-Leh-Hemis-Nubra-Tirith-Diskit-Hunder-Samur
- Samstaling Panamik-Delhi
Ladakh
is rough area where only the fittest animal and plant life survives. Although
the environment is harsh, it boasts of a bounty of wildlife, endemic to this
region. Its exotic highland flora springs up in the summer and engulfs the landscape
in various colour. The fearsome predators include the elusive snow leopard,
lynx, mighty brown bear, Shanko or wolf, fox and wild dog. The herbivores include
the wild yak, the kiang, marmot, wild hare, niyan marcopolo ship, shapo, bharal
ibex marcher, goat and the chirru, now almost hunted to extinction for its downy
under coat worth it weight in gold for the shatoosh shawls made from it.
Yak
The largest animal of the cold desert is the yak(dong), a 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.
Avifauna
The Himalayan and Tibetan snowcocks-large majestic birds much hunted for their
meat, and partridges breed at a height about 5,000 meters. The rest are visitors,
moving down to the foothills in autumn in an annual ritual of altitudinal migration.
Other birds move still further, horizontally following ancient routes of global
migration.
The highest realm belongs to the birds of prey and carrion eaters. These include
choughs, griffon vultures, ravens and lammergeiers(bearded vultures), which
follow man and animal wherever they roam. Choughs and ravens have been seen
as high as 6,150 meters along with the lammergeiers, which have a spectacular
three meters wingspan, which enables them to glide on high powerful upcurrents.
Lammergeiers are never found far from mountains and locals awed by their size
falsely believe them to be capable of carrying away young lambs.
Habitat
Biologically, everything about the crane group, Gruidae, seems to indicate that
the birds are of very old origin having appeared on earth some 60 million years
before man. Now, probably, they are on their way out. They are not found in
abundance anywhere except in several Buddhist countries like Japan and Korea,
where they receive socio-religious protection. Small groups of cranes do exist
elsewhere in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and Australia, but nowhere
in South America, the Malayan archipelago, Pacific Islands or New Zealand. Most
species of cranes are migratory and some of them travel awesome distances each
year. As for the black-necked crane, it chooses to migrate to higher altitudes
to nest.
Vital
statistics
The black-necked crane has a very pale gray, almost white, body with a black
neck, head, feet and well-Designed secondaries. Its bill is greenish. All cranes
have long legs, long straight bills and necks and an elevated hind toe ,which
normally bears none of the bird’s weight when it walks. They fly with their
heads and necks straight out, their legs and feet stretched out behind and with
a regular, steady and slow downward wing beat matched by a rapid upstroke. They
may circle at tremendous heights (sometimes 5 km above the ground) to form long
V-s – an extremely beautiful sight. Cranes seldom glide, except when preparing
to land. A distinctive feature about this bird is its windpipe,which is shaped
differently in each species but is always elaborately coiled somewhat like a
trumpet.
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