E-Paper
Snow leopard which killed 43 sheep, goats captured in Lahaul and Spiti village
Spotted by a local livestock owner first, the animal was trapped by officials of the forest department’s wildlife wing and brought to Shimla
A snow leopard that’s believed to have reportedly killed more than 40 goats and sheep in the remote village of Gue, located 10,000 feet above sea level in Lahaul and Spiti district, has been captured by officials of the forest department’s wildlife wing and brought to Shimla.
After medical tests to check for injuries the animal was quarantined at the Himalayan Nature Park in Kufri.
Special transportation arrangements were made to move it animal due to the Covid-19 lockdown in the state
Gue, which is 500 km away from the state capital, is located between the towns Sumdo and Tabo and is famed for a Tibetan monk mummified there that’s believed to be 500 years old. The snow leopard had in four attacks on livestock corralled in the village in the last two weeks killed around 43 sheep and goats. According to the villagers, three days back a livestock owner had walked into a shed at his farm where cattle, horses and sheep were kept and saw the leopard trapped there and sheep carcasses lying on the floor.
Frightened he called other villagers to help and they later informed the civil authorities at Spiti after which additional district magistrate, Gian Sagar Negi, dispatched a team headed by the forest ranger to trap the leopard.
The officials then trekked for four hours to reach the spot, fixed the wires of the enclosure to make sure the leopard remained trapped, and captured it.
“The team adopted standard operation procedures to trap the leopard,” Negi said. Wildlife team members believe the same leopard killed 15 sheep on April 20; 12 sheep on April 29 and 11 goats on April 30.
“It is evident that the snow leopard is not fit to prey in the wild and is looking for easy prey in the enclosures. Now that it has been rescued and there’s possibility of internal injury, so it’s not advisable to release it in its natural habitat without a medical checkup,” Negi added.
The captured animal was later moved to the Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Shimla, in a pick-up van for medical examination before being quarantined.
The state animal of Himachal Pradesh, the snow leopard can be found at altitudes of 9,800 to 17,000 feet in high and rugged terrains. It’s range spans the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in Lahaul and Spiti to Pangi in Chamba district.
A survey done by the wildlife wing with the Nature Conservation Foundation of India covering parts of the animal’s habitat across HP revealed a population of 100 in the region. The animals had been spotted in seven areas, including Miyar, Thandi, Chandra and Bagha in the upper Spiti region of Lahaul and Spiti district.
