Snow leopards to return to Kufri zoo after 6 years
This is the second time that snow leopards are being brought at Kufri zoo from Darjeeling. The wildlife department has decided to keep the snow leopards in bigger enclosures this time.
In 2000, the wildlife wing housed snow leopard Rozy at Kufri nature park. Rozy was found abandoned in Spiti and was later brought to Kufri. Rozy grew up to be a healthy adult but in 2002, it died of lung infection caused by carbon emission from vehicles and the excreta of horses.
The wildlife wing later shifted the parking away from the snow leopards’ enclosure and also restricted the movement of horses. Kufri, a famous tourist destination, is visited by a large number of tourists, and pony rides is the main attraction.
In 2004, the state brought two leopards — Subhash and Sapna — from Darjeeling to Kufri under an exchange programme. But the plans to start conservatory breeding could not be formalised since the cats were siblings, and therefore had to be kept in separate enclosures. The female leopard died of severe feline infectious enteritis and Subash, the lone male, was shifted back to Darjeeling.
The snow leopard is the state animal of Himachal Pradesh. It is found in Kibber in Lahaul and Spiti district. The leopards have also been sighted near Komic, Hikkim and Demul areas of the tribal district. The state wildlife wing and Mysore’s Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) have been making efforts towards the conservation of snow leopards in Spiti. The wildlife wing claims to have tracked more than 30 snow leopards in Spiti valley alone, through trap cameras. The project emphasises on increasing the population of wild ibex and blue sheep — the main food sources of snow leopards.
The project is underway in Himachal’s Pin Valley National Park, Great Himalayan National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Pangi and Bharmour area of Chamba district. In these areas, state forest department has initiated field-based research programmes to analyse the population of the wild cats.