admaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, often known as the Darjeeling Zoo, now boasts two new snow leopard cubs, persevering with its standing because the zoo with the most important captive inhabitants of the species on the planet.
“The cubs are a month previous. We’re taking particular care of them,” stated Basavraj S Holeyachi, director of PNHZP, talking to The Indian Specific over the telephone.
“That is excellent news. Now we have deliberate to ask Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to call the 2 cubs,” stated Birbaha Hansda, state forest minister.
At current, the zoo homes seven feminine and 4 male snow leopards, along with the 2 cubs.
The cubs have been born to Uncommon (feminine) and Namka (male) a few month in the past. They’re presently housed at Togbey Danra, an off-display conservation breeding centre situated round 20 km from Darjeeling city.
The births mark one other success for the zoo’s ‘Conservation Breeding Programme’ for snow leopards.
The programme started in 1985, with the primary profitable delivery recorded in 1987. In 2007, PNHZP was designated the coordinating zoo for snow leopards in India.
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Based on authorities, a key factor of the programme’s success has been sustaining a large genetic pool in breeding pairs.
“If these paired are intently associated, there’s a probability of creating illness. We have been cautious to make use of a large genetic pool. Snow leopards delivered to the zoo weren’t solely from completely different elements of the nation but in addition from zoos outdoors India,” stated an official.
The Conservation Breeding Centre (CBC) at Togbey Danra spans 5 hectares. It’s designed to copy the pure setting of the snow leopard, and breeding pairs are fastidiously chosen.
“5 naturalistic enclosures of 1,000 sq. metres are there. A dry mountainous area has been artificially created inside elements of the enclosures, intently resembling the snow leopard’s pure habitat,” stated an official.
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“As soon as the feminine leopard is pregnant, particular care is taken. She is separated and saved beneath CCTV surveillance 24/7. Common blood exams and physique weight measurements are performed. After delivery, each mom and cub are checked and intently monitored,” the official added.
Snow leopards bred on the Darjeeling Zoo have been despatched to zoos in Nainital, Shimla, and Sikkim.
Snow leopards are listed as ‘Susceptible’ on the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Purple Checklist of Threatened Species, with an estimated world inhabitants of 4,000 to 7,500.
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