Snow leopard cub ailing

Says Katoch, “Regular treatment for curing the eye has started and once that was over, we will shift the cub to the Himalayan Nature Park (mini-zoo) at Kufri.” According to him, there was no report of any other problem with his physical health and sufficient care was being taken for him.

Meanwhile, the report of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) who had probed death of another cub – Soman, reveals that cub had not been keeping well ever since it was found abandoned along with surviving female cub – Palmo. Wildlife officials had also taken help of the doctors but cub did not show any improvement. All efforts are now to save the surviving cub and shift him to Kufri.

The pair, both male and female were being kept at the house of an ex-serviceman under direct supervision of the Wildlife officials. Snow-leopards, endangered species, are found in the Himalayan region, especially the cold deserts of Lahual-Spiti, Pangi and higher reaches of Kullu and Kinnaur and Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. The latest census in Himachal Pradesh had put their strength at 32 besides surviving cub – Palmo.

Katoch says he had ordered the DFO, Lahual and Spiti to make arrangements for shifting the cub to Kufri after being cured. The cub will be brought under supervision of a veterinary doctor and Wildlife officials, he said.