Snow leopards to roar in Kufri park

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, June 25 

After more than a decade, a pair of snow leopards will soon be among the attractions at the Himalayan Nature Park in Kufri, about 16 km from here, in the winter . 

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved a proposal to bring two big cats from the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, in West Bengal, to the Kufri zoo under the animal exchange programme. 

“We have obtained the mandatory permission from the Central Zoo Authority. However, it is not possible to bring the pair in hot and humid conditions. These will be here by the year-end,” said PC Kang, Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife).

He said the pair would be brought here by road as airlifting would not be financially viable. Moreover, it required the permission from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. 

A pair of snow leopards, Subhash and Sapna, was earlier kept in an enclosure in the Kufri zoo 14 years ago. At that time too, they were brought from the Darjeeling zoo by road in a pre-designed cage. 

It took about 15 days to bring them here under the supervision of forest officials and veterinary doctors. Female leopard Sapna died in 2007. 

Subsequently, the male leopard Subhash was sent to the Darjeeling zoo for breeding in 2012.

The state Wildlife Department is executing the “Snow leopard” project in association with the Mysore- based Nature Conservation Foundation. 

It aims at the conservation of the animal found at high altitudes in the Himalayan region. 

Camera traps have been installed at various locations to trace their movement and estimate their population. 

According to a survey report, there are 67 snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh.

An endangered species

• Listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Act, snow leopards are found in the Pin Valley National Park, Lahaul-Spiti, the Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu, and the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary at Spiti 
• A pair of snow leopards, Subhash and Sapna, was kept in an enclosure in the Kufri zoo 14 years ago. They were brought from the Darjeeling zoo by road in a pre-designed cage. It took about 15 days to bring them here under the supervision of forest officials and veterinary doctors