1st snow leopard sighting reported from Himachal's Kinnaur; rescued from dam

The rare snow leopard, usually found in high, snow-covered mountains, was reportedly sighted for the first time in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on Saturday.

The animal was found trapped in the filter inlet at the dam site of the 120-MW Sanjay Hydroelectric Project in Bhaba Nagar and the forest department was alerted by project officials.

Forest Range Officer (RO), Bhaba Nagar, Parmanand Darekh, along with his team, reached the spot. A rescue team from the forest department in Rampur, the Kinnaur superintendent of police (SP) and a fire brigade team from Bhaba Nagar also joined the rescue operations.

The fire brigade team's initial effort to rescue the snow leopard from the dam using a ladder was unsuccessful. Forest officials then used local techniques and safely rescued the animal without any equipment or injury. The snow leopard headed back into the forest after being rescued.

According to the forest department, snow leopards are usually found only in high, snow-covered mountains and their presence in Kinnaur was not recorded earlier.

However, this incident clearly indicates that the presence of snow leopards is increasing in the Bhabha valley, which is a positive sign from a biodiversity perspective, officials said.