The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) B.D. Mishra (Retd), chaired the 10th Meeting of the State Board for Wildlife at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat on September 20.

During the meeting, the LG requested wildlife expert Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh, IAS (Retd), to assist the UT Administration with three key tasks: profiling wildlife in Ladakh, drafting a comprehensive wildlife policy, and implementing preservation strategies through the appointment of Army officials as honorary wildlife wardens. He emphasized the importance of raising public awareness about wildlife preservation and the urgent need to combat poaching and trafficking.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Brij Mohan Sharma, IFS, presented the meeting's agenda, which included the confirmation of minutes from the 9th meeting, verification of impact and safety zones for the Mandal Thang Field Firing Range in the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, and the reporting of a newly spotted species of bear—the Tibetan Brown Bear/Tibetan Blue Bear—in the High Altitude Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary. This sighting was verified by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and published in the journal Oryx. Other agenda points included population surveys of Tibetan Gazelles, the notification of the State Tree (Shukpa) and State Flower (Tser-sNon), compensation for man-animal conflicts, and a training workshop for Army/ITBP officials.

The LG approved all agenda points, stressing the need to protect the Tibetan Blue Bear by including it in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. He termed the killing of wildlife a cognizable offense and assured the Board that he would communicate this to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 14 Corps.

Additionally, the LG released posters and pamphlets titled "The Big Seven of Ladakh," which feature the Brown Bear (‘Denmo’), the State Bird (Black-Necked Crane), the State Plant (Shukpa), the State Animal (Snow Leopard), and the State Flower (Tser-sNon) to raise awareness among school students about Ladakh's rich biodiversity. He emphasized the importance of publicizing these materials to instill pride in Ladakh's natural heritage for future generations.
Wildlife expert Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh highlighted the Army's crucial role in wildlife preservation and the threat posed by feral dogs to Ladakh's wildlife, advocating for population control measures.

Key attendees included Member of Parliament Mohmad Haneefa Jan, Deputy Chairman of LAHDC Leh Tsering Angchuk, Advisor to the LG Dr. Pawan Kotwal, ADGP Ladakh Police Dr. S.D. Singh Jamwal, and various other government officials and wildlife experts, both in-person and virtually.