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Snow leopard facing extinction

SHIMLA: Wildlife authorities in Himachal Pradesh are making sustained efforts to preserve the elusive and endangered snow leopard whose population had shrunk considerably in past two decades.

Snow leopards found in high altitude snow-bound areas in the tribal belt are facing extinction as their natural habitat has been disturbed and prey-base like blue sheep, goral, thar ibex and other harbivorous animals is fast dwindling.

Although, wildlife authorities deny any poaching of these animals in snow-bound areas, they have no plausible explanation for a sharp decrease in the population of the small animals which sustain the snow leopards in Alpine region of Kibber, the highest populated village at an altitude of 15,000 feet and Pin valley in the tribal belt.

According to a survey conducted last year, 34 snow leopards were detected in the state but the seperate number of male and female leopards could not be ascertained.

Of these, 24 were spotted in Kibber and Pin valley areas alone and the wildlife department is looking for different bloodline snow leopards for breeding which could later be set free in their natural habitat.

The snow leopard conservancy has also expressed concern over depleting number of snow leopards and initiated steps to promote their shrinking habitat.

The state wildlife department proposed to sign a memorandum of understanding with snow leopard conservancy for launching a conservation project which envisages expansion of habitat for snow leopards and exploring ways to increase the `food cover' in the Alpine region.

According to Chief Wildlife Warden A K Gulati, the department is serious about establishing the conservation project under which the prey base of snow leopard and human-animal conflict would be studied widely and steps for breeding of endangered animal would also be taken up.

He said the department had brought a pair of snow leopards from Padmaja Naidu zoo in Darjeeling but breeding could not be done due to genetic similarities which could result a inbreeding problems.

Attempts are also being made to import to get a new bloodline of snow leopards from Amsterdam in Holland for breeding and once the experiment is successful, the conservation of snow leopard would not be a difficult task, Gulati said. - PTI

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Snow leopard facing extinction

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