Ladakh, a remote region of India lying between the Himalayas and Tibet, is ethnically and geographically distinct from the rest of the country. Because of its isolation, change came later to Ladakh than to other parts of the Himalayas, but recent years have seen the familiar pattern of social change, human population increase, tourism and rural development beginning to affect the environment. The authors, jointly and individually, made a series of visits to the area to investigate the status of the wildlife and to look at conservation measures.