Environment

Leh, Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta on Sunday called for the promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism to protect the region’s fragile ecosystem while ensuring inclusive, long-term benefits for local communities. He said tourism is a key pillar of Ladakh’s economic growth, significantly contributing to livelihood generation for local communities while strengthening allied sectors such as hospitality, transport, handicrafts, and eco-tourism. Gupta was speaking during his visit to the iconic Sangam Point one of Ladakh’s most prominent tourist destinations located about 35 kilometres from Leh on the Srinagar–Leh National Highway. The site marks the spectacular confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers and is globally renowned for the striking visual contrast of the blue waters of the Indus merging with the muddy green-brown waters of the Zanskar, forming a single majestic river. “There is a need to promote sustainable and responsible tourism practices to protect Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem and ensure inclusive, long-term benefits for the region and its people,” the Lt Governor said.

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.