New lease of life to Darjeeling snow leopards

Darjeeling: Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, nestling at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range, is offering a new lease of life to the highly endangered species of snow leopards.

Today, it is known for its successful breeding of snow leopards.

Having started with just four snow leopards --two from Germany and another two from America -- the zoological park is today home to 14 snow leopards.

In 1986, inspired by the Switzerland-based, International Snow Leopard Trust, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West Bengal launched a snow leopard breeding programme. The objective was and is the conservation of snow leopards in captivity.

According to authorities at the zoo, the breeding of snow leopards is a long-term project, and will involve exchange programmes both within India and abroad.

"The future plan is that we'll continue breeding and we'll be sending these animals to other zoos like we have done with...we have sent animals to Shimla, Nainital and Gangtok," said said A. K. Jha, the Director of the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.

"They are keeping these animals in captivity in India and we have also had an exchange programme with zoos in other parts of the world. We bring animals from there and we exchange them for the new improved bloodline," Jha added.

Weighing up to 75 kilograms (165 lb), the snow leopard has a thick, soft gray coat with ringed black spots to help it camouflage itself against rocks.

The snow leopard's tail is almost the same length as its body and helps maintain its balance on the rugged mountain terrain.

Scientifically known as the 'Uncia uncia', the solitary cats are native to the remote mountain ranges of central and southern Asia, where their population is estimated to be around 7,000.

In 2006, India had between 200 to 600 snow leopards -- the third-largest population of the wild cats after China and Mongolia -- of which around half inhabit Kashmir's Himalayan mountain range at the altitudes of about 3,000 metres (9,800 feet).

The cats, whose skin command a high price in the international market, are protected but wildlife groups say there have been no real conservation measures to help save the endangered species.

The degradation of their natural habitat, poaching of their furs, reduction of their prey due to hunting and them being killed by locals as retribution for lost livestock are some of the factors that contribute to their depleting population, officials said.

The Himalayan range covers most of northern India.

Copyright Asian News International