Rescued snow leopard ill, suffering from stress: Himachal wildlife wing

A rescued snow leopard a native of the alpine and high-altitude regions of the Himalayas has arrived at the Himalayan Nature Park near Shimla, wildlife officials said on Monday.

After veterinary checkup, it was found the abandoned wild cat, weighing 7 kg, was stressed, under-fed, weak and suffering from severe dehydration.

A wildlife official told that the rescued snow leopard is just a six to eight months old, most probably abandoned by the mother.

Rather than re-introducing it in its alpine habitat, wildlife officials transported this vulnerable species, which was trapped in a sheep pen in a hamlet in the Spiti Valley, for veterinary checkup to the nature park in Kufri, some 15 km uphill from here, known for temperate vegetation.

The decision has angered wildlife activists.

The wildlife wing admits that there is no wildlife rehabilitation centre in high mountain passes of the state where the Central government-funded Snow Leopard Conservation Project is underway.

"The snow leopard was examined on Sunday and we found that it was ill and very weak, owing to dehydration," veterinary surgeon Sandeep Rattan told .

The cub was also under stress physical and emotional owing to separation from the mother. "There are some physical injuries and gangrene too at some portion," Rattan said.

"Our first priority is to regain its normal weight. A team is carrying out the necessary treatment. We are feeding a small chicken to it. Since its tooth development is at the primary

( With inputs from IANS )