A rapidly growing population of feral dogs has emerged as one of the most serious threats to wildlife in Ladakh, alarming conservationists and officials working in the region. Once a side effect of tourism, military presence and unmanaged waste, the problem has now escalated into a full-blown ecological crisis driven largely by human activity. According to estimates by the Wildlife Conservation and Birds Club of Ladakh (WCBCL), nearly 45,000 feral dogs now roam the cold desert landscape, far exceeding what Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem can sustain. Conservationists say these free-ranging dogs now outnumber native predators and are increasingly hunting in packs.
Scientists and wildlife experts warn that feral dogs are preying on some of Ladakh’s rarest and least-studied species. These include Pallas’s cat, Eurasian lynx, Tibetan gazelle, blue sheep, ibex and Himalayan marmots. The dogs also compete with and threaten native predators such as wolves, foxes and even snow leopards. Lobzang Visuddha, chairman of WCBCL, told the Times of India that there have been confirmed cases of feral dogs killing two Pallas’s cats and Eurasian lynxes in recent years. The killing of a Pallas’s cat in Anley last year particularly alarmed conservationists due to the species’ rarity and limited global population.
Ladakh has also recorded at least five fatal attacks on humans in recent years, mostly involving women and children. Such incidents were previously unheard of in the region, conservationists said.
