Lying north of the Indus River at the head of the Ulley Valley, the small village of Ulley in Ladakh, India stands at almost 4,000 metres above sea level. The Ulley Valley has only recently been developed for snow leopard tracking, but it has quickly gained a reputation for observation of the cats. That being said, snow leopards are a difficult sighting. According to the Snow Leopard Lodge, Ulley village’s only homestay, and our accommodation on this safari, there is a 60 % chance of seeing a leopard between November and April, which is when snow leopards and their prey descend to lower elevations. Ulley’s population of snow leopard is estimated around 10 individuals. We remain six days in Ulley to maximize our chances of spotting one.
There is other wildlife to see in this Himalayan paradise: Siberian (or Asiatic) ibex; Ladakh urial (a native wild sheep with long legs and relatively small horns); and Himalayan fox and wolf. Among the bird highlights are Chukors (a ground-dweller and national bird of the Kurdish people); Tibetan partridges; Red-billed choughs; Golden eagles; Lammergeiers; Bearded vultures; and Himalayan griffon vultures.
The trust works in five of the 12 countries where snow leopards are found – China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. Collectively, these 5 countries contain over 75% of the world’s population of wild snow leopards. Ulley, Ladakh, India is one of the Snow Leopard Conservation Trust’s bases. The Snow Leopard Trust works through a local partner organization led by local staff members. They conduct snow leopard research, lead community conservation programs, and negotiate policy decisions with local authorities.relatively small horns); and Himalayan fox and wolf. Among the bird highlights are Chukors (a ground-dweller and national bird of the Kurdish people); Tibetan partridges; Red-billed choughs; Golden eagles; Lammergeiers; Bearded vultures; and Himalayan griffon vultures.
