Darj Zoo declared zoo with the ‘highest captive snow leopard population in the world’

Darjeeling: The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in Darjeeling has added another feather to its cap, this time for having the largest captive population of “Ghost of the mountains”.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in a social media post stated: “Presently, the PNHZP has the largest captive population of snow leopards in the world.” WAZA has lauded the Darjeeling Zoo for successfully breeding snow leopards for the past 30 years.

Snow leopards reside in the high rugged mountains of Central and South Asia. They are so elusive that it has earned them the title “Ghost of the mountain”.

The WAZA post stated that Snow Leopards are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimated population of between 4000 and 7500 individuals remaining in the wild.

“The Snow Leopard Breeding Programme at the PNHZP is the only breeding programme of the species in Southeast Asia. A total of 77 births have been recorded in the park, including six cubs born this year, which is the highest number of surviving births since the programme’s inception” stated the WAZA post.

“We appreciate WAZA’s recognition of the successful breeding of snow leopards by the PNHZP. At present we have 14 Snow Leopards including 7 males and 7 females,” stated Basavaraj Holeyachi, Director, Pnhzp talking to the Millennium Post.

In 2007, the Park was designated as the coordinating zoo for the conservation breeding of snow leopards by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.

In the past snow leopards from the USA, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and France have made PNHZP their home, in an attempt to introduce fresh bloodlines. The snow leopard is a highly endangered species. In summer it usually lives above the tree line on mountainous meadows and in rocky regions at an altitude of 2,700 m to 6,000 m. In winter, it comes down into the forests to an altitude of around 2,000m. Snow leopards are mainly found in Central and South Asia.