There may be 30-50 snow leopards, somewhat fewer wolves and a few wild dogs and lynx. The park supports 4,000 or more blue sheep, about 300 endangered Ladakh urial, and a few very rare Tibetan argali. Hemis is located at the very edge of Asiatic ibex range. An analysis of scats or droppings indicates that blue sheep are the snow leopard's main prey, followed by domestic livestock, marmot, Tibetan hare, pika or mousehare, and such gamebirds as the snowcock and chukor partridge. As agro-pastoralists, the villagers share the park's resources with wildlife.
Tourism provides an important source of supplementary income.
Ladakh was opened to tourism in 1974, and the Markha Valley circuit through Hemis National Park remains its most popular trekking route, with about 5,000 visitors per year. Dramatically these cases accounted for 29 of the 210 incidents reported. This clearly highlights the economic impact when a predator enters a poorly constructed corral. Hemis, like many parks in the Himalaya, has a long history of people-wildlife conflict due to livestock depredation and crop damage. In 1994, the Wildlife Department established a compensation program, but due to high cost and a limited operational budget, claims have taken up to two years to settle.