Wildlife of Ladakh - 20 Mammals and Birds

One of the rarest mammals in the world is the Snow Leopard, known as Schan in the Ladakhi language. Known to be the king of the snow-covered mountain, this elusive mammal exists in the areas between 3000 m and 5000m in the mountains all over Ladakh, especially at Hemis National Park.

Also known as the “Grey Ghost” the snow leopards are smaller in size than the common leopard and are also much lighter. You can only see this animal between October to mid-March if you embark on a Snow Leopard trek.

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The nocturnal Asiatic ibex is active only before sunrise and after sunset and remains inactive during the daytime mostly. But on the days, there is heavy snowfall, they remain active during the daytime as well as they are protected from the cold by their thick fur.

During summer, once a year, they shed their fur. However, while they are active, they prefer to avoid areas covered with either tall vegetation or deep snow. Considered to be a sub-species of the Siberian Ibex, the Asiatic ibex is well known for its beautiful horns. Asiatic Ibex is a herbivore and mostly feeds on grasses and shrubs.

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In the list of wildlife in Leh Ladakh,  there are two species of marmot that are found in Ladakh, out of which Himalayan marmot is one. Called Phia in Ladakhi, the Himalayan marmot has a squat body with short limbs and a very short tail. The color of its body is pale mixed with black on the top and its face is dark brown.

This small creature hibernates for 6-7 months in a year and uses burrows in open grassland and grass-covered stone slopes during this time. They can be commonly spotted during trekking trips to an altitude of 4,000m and 5,000m in Ladakh.

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A very common wildlife of Ladakh is the red fox, which is found throughout the union territory. Called Watsey in Ladakhi, the red fox is a very wary and shy animal and is either seen individually or as a monogamous pair. It lives in burrows and crevices and can be seen at dawn and dusk.

It is mostly active at night and becomes inactive during the day. The poor animal is often a target of hunters due to its long silky fur for which its population is declining day by day. The red fox feeds on birds, rodents, marmots and mouse-hares.

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If you are visiting upland grasslands or alpine cold deserts between 3000 m to 5300m, you may encounter the friendly Wooly Hare or Tibetan Hare. This mammal is found during the dawn and dusk in the Changthang and Rupshu plains and also in the Rumbak and Markha valleys of the famous Hemis National Park.

You will be able to identify them with their thick and curly brownish gray coat accompanied by a short and bushy tail. The delightful mammal feeds on herbs, roots, grasses and plants.

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Although named as a sheep, the Blue sheep or bharal is not a sheep but rather is a combination of a goat with a sheep. The animal has a coat of grayish blue which changes to red-brown in summer. In the Ladakhi language, it is called a Napo and its habitat is the alpine pastures and rocky hills located between the snow and treeline.

During the winter months, the blue sheep descends to an altitude of 3500 m. You can identify the animal from its sturdy body having a short tail with a black tip. While the male species have rounded horns that are pointed upwards, the females have horns that are short and straight.

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One of the rare species of cat that you can find amongst the wildlife in Leh Ladakh is the Eurasian Lynx. This animal is bigger than the cat with more muscles and strong limbs, and a distinct tuft of hair on its ears. You may encounter one which is gray or tan in color or you may find one which is reddish-brown and has spots over the upper limbs.

It has the peculiar feature of having the hind legs longer than the forelegs. Being a part of cat species, Eurasian Lynx are excellent climbers and prefer to be alone or in a group of up to 4 members.

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The wildlife in Ladakh also includes a Ladakh urial, also called a Shapo in Ladakhi. It is known to be a resident of Ladakh and is considered the smallest of all the wild sheep. You can spot a Ladakh urial in herds on the steep grassy mountain slopes of the Indus and Shyok river valley and can identify it from its back curved, slender and wrinkled horns.

The body of this animal is reddish tan, giving it the name of ‘red sheep’. You can identify its adult male species from its dark ruff from its throat to breast.

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The carnivore mountain weasel is another well-known wildlife in Leh Ladakh that you can look out for. This uncommon animal has a long and slender body with short and slender limbs and has a tail that is half of its body length. Its head is triangular in shape and has long whiskers.

An amazing thing about this animal is that its coat is chocolate brown in color but turns pale in the winter. The energetic animal is considered to be a natural athlete due to its versatility and agility because of which it can climb, run and even swim. The mountain weasel has a lifespan of only seven years.

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The Tibetan argali is the largest of all wild sheep and is the biggest among the eight variants of the animal found in India. Called Nyan in Ladakhi, the Tibetan argali closely resembles an antelope and has also been named the Great Tibetan sheep owing to its strong body and long legs.

You can differentiate the males from their female counterparts by the massive wrinkled horns that the males have. The Tibetan argali mainly lives in the hills or high altitude plains and never comes down to the plain below 4500 m. You can find them mainly in the eastern part of the Changthang region. This animal feeds on grasses, herbs and sedges.

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If you are in the Kalak-Tartar plains in the south of Hanle valley and wish to take a look at a few rare species of wildlife in Ladakh,  look out for the shy Tibetan gazelle, also known as Goa in Ladakhi. The delightful animal has a gray coloured stock, barrel-shaped body and a black tail.

You will be able to see the animal in small groups in the open landscapes and also in the high ridges of the Himalayan mountains. Being shy, the gazelle is vigilant and runs very fast to safety whenever it faces even a tiny bit of suspicion.

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The wildlife in Leh Ladakh also includes the Tibetan wild ass, called the kiang in the Ladakhi language. This majestic animal is known to be the largest of all the species of Asiatic and African asses. The Tibetan wild ass has a powerful body with large hooves and a huge head. Both male and female species of this mammal have a reddish-brown body color and white belly.

You can easily find this animal in the open grasslands of Changthang in its Tso Kar and Tso Moriri lake area. If you go on a trek from Rumtse to Tso Moriri in the Rupshu valley, you will be able to view these animals.

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Native to the Tibetan region and the mighty Himalayas are the beautiful Black-necked Cranes, also known as Cha Thung Thung in Ladakhi. Out of the 15 species of Cranes, Black necked  Cranes are the only ones that can live at high altitudes. You can get an opportunity to see these birds while travelling through the Tso Moriri and Tso Kar Lake.

These birds come on the list of endangered birds, and although migratory in nature, they have been protected by the locals of the region. You can watch them often going around in their natural habitats in the wildlands near the Changtang Wildlife Sanctuary.

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Look out for the majestic  Himalayan golden eagle in the open landscapes of the mountainous regions of Ladakh up to an elevation of 3600m. Also known as Gyaplak in Ladakhi, these predatory birds are in its full glory when in a full flight and will mesmerise you as it uses its broad wings of 185-200 cm to glide up to 200 km/hr.

The imposing bird got its name from the golden nape and crown that you will be able to notice in its dark brown body. Being a predatory bird, it preys on pigeons, snowcocks and other smaller birds along with small mammals and fishes.

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Also known as the Thangkar in Ladakhi, the Himalayan vulture is known to be one of the largest vultures of the Eurasian landmass and is found in the Himalayan range. The beautiful bird is large in size and has a broad brown body along with a long tail, a featherless head and has a facial skin of pale grey and pink. 

You will be able to spot these birds in the cliffs and mountain terrains in the  Changthang region, Zanskar, Upper Indus Basin, and Kargil district. The bird feeds on the carcasses of large mammals such as Tibetian wild asses, yaks, Tibetian antelopes and even humans.

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The wildlife of Ladakh also includes the bearded Vulture, Lammergeier, known as Skiaklag in Ladakhi. Although a vulture, Lammergeier is not bald-headed like its other species and is characterised by having a greyish-black elongated body shape with a long, narrow and wedge-shaped tail and black bristles looking like a beard.

The bird is a scavenger by nature and preys on small mammals and reptiles and has their bones majorly. You will be able to see these birds in villages and towns, especially near slaughterhouses and dumping grounds in the Zanskar, Changthang region, and Suru valley.

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The Brown-headed Gull, Nyagar in Ladakhi, can be found in Ladakh only during the summer season when it comes to breeding in the wetlands of the Upper Indus valley and Changthang. Classified as the least threatened species, the beautiful bird has a length of 40-45 cm and weighs about 450-700gms.

It can live up to 11 years and feeds on fish and invertebrates. The breeding adult species of this bird has a white cream-coloured head and a non-breeding or a less than a year-old bird can be identified with its dark ear patch.

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A common sight that you will be able to witness while visiting Ladakh is that of the bird Chukar Partridge, also known as Srhakpa. The bird has a chicken-like plump body with a small rounded head, short legs and a bold vertical bar on each of its sides.

The chukar partridge lives in the rocky regions of the Himalayas and are ground-dwelling birds that prefer to walk or run on the ground rather than fly and can run faster than humans. You will find these birds travelling in small flocks in every part of Ladakh and feeding on grass, shrub fruits and seeds. 

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Meet the largest owl in the world, the Eurasian Eagle Owl, called Ugpa in Ladakhi. You can find them mostly in the rocky landscapes of eastern Ladakh and in the Nubra valley and can distinguish it from other birds through its large piercing orange eyes.

The bird has a brown-black coloured body with a length ranging between 58 to 71 cm and weighs 1.6-4.2 kg. The bird has a white throat and a wingspan of 1.5-2 m. They have a lifespan of 20 years if they live in the wild and 60 years if they live in captivity. They are nocturnal creatures and feed on mice, foxes, ducks etc.

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A less threatened species that you can find in the wetlands of marshes of the Shey and Changthang region is Gadwall, known as Jungnagma in Ladakhi. You will be able to distinguish between the male and female counterparts of this bird easily by looking at their body colour.

While the male bird has a grey-brown body with a completely dark bill, the female has a brown patterned body along with a thin orange coloured edge of the bill. Both the male and female variants measure 46-57 cm in length and weigh around 500-1250 g. They have a wingspan of about 85 cm. Although this bird feeds on aquatic invertebrates and submerged plants, it does not dive into the water but just tips forward while feeding. It eats fish, insects, molluscs, crustaceans and amphibians. 

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