Realm of the Snow Leopard: India’s Cold Deserts

Deserts are always deceptively full of life, and India’s high-altitude trans-Himalayan landscape are no exception. At an average elevation of 12,000 feet above sea level, this is an austere and rocky landscape at first glance. But there is much here not readily apparent to the eye. The region is becoming a popular wilderness destination thanks to its high snow leopard numbers and the trackers who make it possible to see them. But there is more happening in this vast and daunting landscape. A multi-layered network of habitat, species and weather patterns, each element plays a role in creating the ideal conditions for the existence of big cats in this seemingly inhospitable terrain. Join Expedition Leader Surya Ramachandran for a deeper look into the wild expanse of India’s high mountain deserts. It’s a journey that is sure to bring about a greater appreciation of concepts like adaptation, coexistence, co-dependence and survival.


Originally presented October 19, 2020

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