KATHMANDU, JANUARY 26
The rare snow leopard, rescued from Urlabari Municipality in the Tarai belt, was presented to the public in Kathmandu on Friday. The snow leopard is currently housed at the Central Zoo.
During a news conference, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, and the Central Zoo disclosed details about the wild cat. Senior Ecologist at the Department, Shyam Kumar Shah, highlighted that the presence of the snow leopard in the habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger is a subject of research for conservationists.
Conservationists emphasized that encountering a snow leopard at an altitude of 146 meters above sea level was an unusual occurrence. Snow leopards typically inhabit mountainous regions from Kanchanjangha in the east to Api Nampa in the west of the country. The male snow leopard was discovered hiding in a bamboo thicket at Charghare, Urlabari, on Tuesday.
Conservation officials and stakeholders rescued the wild animal and transported it to the Central Zoo on Wednesday. The snow leopard is experiencing a limp in its front right limb, and no external wounds were observed on its body.
Experts have initiated a research project to investigate how the leopard reached the site in the Tarai region.
