Uttarakhand Tourism has come up with a unique way to drive its conservation message. The state is gearing up to welcome tourists for its first-ever snow leopard tours. Here’s everything you need to know about this. By Kumar Shree
With the dawning of 2021, Uttarakhand Tourism board and the state’s forest department have devised a unique way to promote conservation in the region. This new move will especially excite adventure and conservation lovers, alike. Travellers will soon be able to navigate through the higher terrains of Uttarakhand while witnessing majestic snow leopards in all their glory.
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The tours will be centred around Uttarkashi district, the natural abode of snow leopards. Uttarakhand’s state tourism department and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have come together to execute this unique project. Moreover, the SECURE Himalaya Project will play a crucial role in this initiative, too; they aim to promote sustainable tourism and conservation, and at the same time, provide a livelihood for locals by generating job opportunities via this project.
Recently, Uttarakhand Tourism tweeted about this–“This winter let’s track a snow leopard! Uttarakhand to organise snow leopard tours in Harsil in February. The first batch of tourists will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Stay tuned! #snowleopard #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhand #pahaditrip #uttarakhandheaven,” the tweet read.
This winter let’s track a snow leopard!Uttarakhand to organise snow leopard tours in Harsil in February. The first batch of tourists will be selected on a first come, first-serve basis.
Stay tuned! #snowleopard #uttarakhandtourism #uttarakhand #pahaditrip #uttarakhandheaven pic.twitter.com/ae04oyWCxS— Uttarakhand Tourism (@UTDBofficial) January 10, 2021
Earlier in August 2020, Uttarakhand had announced the launch of India’s very first Snow Leopard Conservation Centre in Uttarkashi. Talking about the new project, as per several media reports, Rajiv Bhartari, Head of Forest Force of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, said, “We have already been working in the high-altitude areas through the Secure Himalaya project, where locals have been trained in adventure sports and wildlife movement. Using that, we are working towards starting snow leopard tours in the high-altitude areas of Uttarkashi district, where sightings of snow leopards have increased in the past few months.”
Related: #SomeGoodNews: Snow-Capped Gangotri Range Is Now Visible From Saharanpur, UP After 30 Years!