Eurasian lynx photographed for the first time in Sikkim

Second photographic record of the species in the Eastern Himalayas



Mangan District, Sikkim: The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has been photographed for the first time in Sikkim, in what represents only the second photographic record of the species in the entire Eastern Himalayan region. The photograph was obtained in the month of January, 2026 from a camera-trap deployed at 5,250 metres on the Tso Lhamo plateau in Mangan district. Although anecdotal reports of the Eurasian lynx had circulated in the region for years, this discovery provides the first confirmed photographic evidence of its presence in the state.

The record was obtained as part of a long-term snow leopard and rangeland monitoring programme jointly led by the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim, and WWF-India. The programme monitors population trends and seasonal distribution of snow leopards and associated high-altitude species, and assesses the ecological condition of trans-Himalayan rangelands.

This finding follows the first-ever photographic record of the Eurasian lynx in Arunachal Pradesh in 2025, documented during a joint survey by WWF-India and the Department of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. Together, the two records substantially advance understanding of the species’ distribution in the Eastern Himalayas, a region where it has been almost entirely undocumented.

“The photographic confirmation of the Eurasian lynx in the Tso Lhamo plateau is a proud moment for Sikkim. It highlights the ecological significance of our high-altitude rangelands and reinforces our commitment to protecting these fragile ecosystems. The Lachen Dzumsa’s cooperation in facilitating access to these remote areas has been important to this work.”

— Sri Udai Gurung, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Forest and Environment Department, Sikkim

The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized wild cat distinguished by its characteristic ear tufts and short tail, and is well-adapted to cold, high-altitude environments. The Tso Lhamo plateau, a high-altitude cold desert ecosystem characterised by extreme climatic conditions and low human density, evidently supports a broader assemblage of trans-Himalayan wildlife than previously documented. The same monitoring exercise recorded snow leopard, Pallas’s cat, Tibetan wolf, Tibetan sand fox, Tibetan gazelle, Tibetan argali, and southern kiang, underscoring the plateau’s significance as a high-altitude wildlife habitat.

The region nevertheless faces serious conservation pressures. The survey identified opportunities for conservation, such as implementing wildlife-friendly traffic management, establishing sustainable waste-management systems and conducting regular sterilisation and vaccination drives for the growing population of free-ranging dogs and health camps for the livestock.

 “Following our 2025 record in Arunachal Pradesh, the Sikkim record confirms that the Eurasian lynx has a broader presence in the Eastern Himalayas than was previously understood. What we are documenting at Tso Lhamo is not a single species occurrence, it is a high-altitude ecosystem of exceptional conservation value. Sustaining long-term, systematic monitoring across these landscapes is essential if we are to understand and protect what is here.”

— Dr. Rishi Kumar Sharma, Head, Himalayas Program, WWF-India

The monitoring programme continues to generate data on the distribution and population status of snow leopards and associated species across Sikkim’s high-altitude landscapes, informing science-based conservation planning in one of the most remote and least-studied ecosystems in the Indian Himalaya.