Every journey gives back
Every journey gives back to the valleys that keep the snow leopard safe.
- 10%of Odzer's net profit each year to village conservation funds
- Auditedaccounts, independently checked and shared with every guest
- 90%+of our field team are Ladakhi, from snow leopard villages
A living snow leopard, worth more than a dead one
Thirty years ago, a snow leopard that killed a family's sheep could be killed in return. Today, in many of Ladakh's villages, it is protected and valued. Homestays, predator-proof corrals and livestock insurance helped make that change, by making a living snow leopard worth more to a village than a dead one.
The founder's book traces that change to three foundations: managing whole landscapes rather than single parks; livelihoods from wildlife, with more than 200 homestays in over 40 villages; and science that counts the cats.
Tourism can strengthen that choice, or weaken it. Our commitments are designed to strengthen it.
What we do, in numbers
Village conservation funds
10% of Odzer's net profit each year, paid to the conservation funds of the villages where we work.
Open accounts
The accounts are audited independently each year and shared with every guest.
Science
Every sighting recorded and shared with Ladakh's Department of Wildlife Protection.
Local employment
At least 90% of our field team are Ladakhi, mostly from snow leopard villages.
Local spending
At least 70% of what we spend in Ladakh stays with Ladakhi businesses.
Fair pay for spotters
Year-round retainers and fair day rates; never a bonus per sighting.
No intermediary. The money goes to the villages in full.
Each year, 10% of Odzer's net profit is paid directly to the conservation funds of the villages where we work: the communities that live alongside the snow leopard and protect it.
Open accounts
The payments are made from a separate account used only for this purpose. Its accounts are audited independently each year, and the audited accounts are shared with every guest, in their Guest Area and in our annual Conservation Impact Report.
| Living with snow leopards | Predator-proof livestock corrals; help for families after livestock losses |
|---|---|
| Dogs and waste | Feral dog management; waste collection and removal from snow leopard valleys |
| Education | School programmes and scholarships in snow leopard villages; winter nature classes |
| Local skills | Training for young spotters, naturalists and homestay hosts |
| Research | Support for snow leopard monitoring with the Department of Wildlife Protection |
Dogs and waste
Ladakh's growing number of free-roaming dogs hunt wild prey and livestock, spread disease to wildlife and compete with snow leopards and wolves. Much of the problem begins with food waste around settlements, camps and construction sites.
Odzer never feeds dogs and carries out all its waste. We work with village councils and the Department of Wildlife Protection on dog management and waste control in the valleys where we work.
Your sightings count
Every sighting on an Odzer expedition is recorded and shared with Ladakh's Department of Wildlife Protection for long-term research on the species. Guests receive a certificate showing that their observations have been contributed.
Sightings recordAnnual Conservation Impact Report
Each year we publish what we contributed, where it went and what it achieved, with the numbers. Our first report will cover the 2027–28 season and will be published here in spring 2028.
Four simple choices
- Travel with an operator that publishes its code and its contributions.
- Never pay for baited or staged sightings.
- Stay in Ladakhi-owned lodges and homestays.
- Never feed dogs or leave food waste.