Himachal snow leopard centre to study the elusive cat

Wildlife officials are in the process of setting up a snow leopard research centre to study the behaviour of this rare and near mythical animal in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti valley which borders Tibet.

There are estimated to be less than three dozen snow leopards in the high mountains of the state.“The entire project will be set up at a cost of Rs 500 lakh. We have already received Rs 80 lakh. The centre will come up at Kibber in the Spiti valley ,” said A K Gulati chief wildlife warden Himachal Pradesh government .

“It will be set up in collaboration with the Mysore based national conservation foundation(NCF) and the India Snow Leopard Trust ,” Gulati said .

 

He said ever since the snow leopard was declared a state animal of Himachal a lot of interest has been shown by conservationists .

The centre will be on the lines of a similar snow leopard centre in Mongolia , and will try to study the behaviour of this secretive and rare cat with the help of camera traps , radio collaring among other ways .

The India Snow Leopard Trust has already been working in the Spiti valley for the past few years with the help of camera traps .

Spiti valley borders Tibet . According to state wildlife officials of the 35 snow leopards in the state around 24 are in Spiti alone.

This highly endangered cat is found in the high rocky mountains of Asia between 10,000 ft to 18,000 feet above sea level .