A visit to Ladakh this summer, exploring, primarily, the Chanthang Plains of Eastern Ladakh, but also parts of Central and Western Ladakh produced a number of Tibetan Plateau mammalian specialities including multiple sightings of Tibetan Sand Fox, Tibetan Gazelle and Tibetan Wolf as well as species largely seen in the Central Asian region, including #mammals like Pallas’s Cat, Ladakhi Urial, Mountain Weasel and Long-tailed Marmot. This impressive list also included 2 species of hares, 2 or 3 species of Pika (Id problems!), and at least 1 species of vole (seen both active around their burrows and expertly excavated by Pallas’s Cat and the foxes). While we did not focus on the rich summer birdlife of this region, sightings included species like Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Snowcock, Hume’s Groundpecker, Golden Eagle, Lammergeier, Tibetan Lark, Brandt’s Mountainfinch, Red-fronted Serin and Blandford’s Snowfinch. A handful of lizards and butterflies added to the faunal riches on show, underlining the surprising abundance of wildlife that make this stark, cold desert landscape their (brief) summer (often breeding) home. All this richness is supported by moisture (mostly from snow and glacial meltwater, forming a network of streams, rivulets and marshes), that become available in the relative warmth of the season. This year, was hot though, and worryingly, Ladhakis are seeing rapidly waning glaciers, significantly lower snowfall and uncharacteristically intense summer rains…..
ficustours.in