Expedition 🇮🇳 India
Snow Leopard in India
Ghost of the Himalaya — a pale spotted cat that prowls above the tree line where oxygen is thin and prey is scarce.
The species
The snow leopard is one of the world's most elusive big cats — thick-furred, pale, and rosette-spotted, adapted to life between 3,000 and 5,500 metres in the mountains of Central Asia. Its long tail wraps around the body for warmth and aids balance on near-vertical cliffs.
Habitat in India
High alpine and subalpine zones in the Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, and mountains of Central Asia hold snow leopards. They need rugged terrain with cliff cover and abundant wild prey, spanning twelve countries from Nepal to Mongolia.
Where to spot one
Ranthambore National Park
Rajasthan
Dry deciduous forest and ruined fortresses where tigers patrol ancient trails — one of India's most reliable tiger-spotting reserves.
Bandhavgarh National Park
Madhya Pradesh
Dense sal forest with one of the highest tiger densities in India — dawn jeep safaris through thick jungle.
Kanha National Park
Madhya Pradesh
The inspiration for The Jungle Book — open meadows and bamboo forest where tigers, barasingha deer, and leopards share the landscape.
Sundarbans Mangroves
West Bengal
The world's largest mangrove forest — home to swimming tigers adapted to tidal islands and muddy channels.
Conservation status
Snow leopards are Vulnerable, with perhaps 4,000 to 7,000 remaining. Poaching, retaliatory killing for livestock, and habitat loss threaten populations across their range.
Free on iOS
Log the Snow Leopard in India
Spot one in the wild — scan it in Catch'Um to log your legendary discovery.