The Union Territory Government of Ladakh on September 02 has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as state bird. Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal said, “Ladakh Union Territory administration has announced snow leopard as its state animal and black-necked crane as its state bird. Black-necked crane is found in eastern Ladakh’s high-altitude wetlands and marshes.”
The decision was taken keeping in view bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh into separate administrative divisions in 2019. In the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the black-necked crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) were the state bird and animal respectively.