Two snow leopard cubs were born at the Darjeeling Zoo, or Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP), last month, officials said.
The zoo, which houses seven female and four male snow leopards, in addition to the two cubs, holds the distinction of having the largest captive population of the species in the world, the officials said.
The cubs were born to Rare (female) and Namka (male) about a month ago. They are currently housed at Togbey Danra, an off-display conservation breeding centre located around 20 km from Darjeeling town.
“The cubs are a month old. We are taking special care of them,” said Basavraj S Holeyachi, director of PNHZP, speaking to The Indian Express over the phone.
“We might ask Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to name the two cubs,” said Birbaha Hansda, state forest minister.
The births mark another success for the zoo’s ‘Conservation Breeding Programme’ for snow leopards. The programme began in 1985, with the first successful birth recorded in 1987. In 2007, PNHZP was designated the coordinating zoo for snow leopards in India.
According to authorities, a key element of the programme’s success has been maintaining a wide genetic pool in breeding pairs.
“If those paired are closely related, there is a chance of developing disease. We were careful to use a wide genetic pool. Snow leopards brought to the zoo were not only from different parts of the country but also from zoos outside India,” said an official.
The Conservation Breeding Centre (CBC) at Togbey Danra spans five hectares. It is designed to replicate the natural environment of the snow leopard, and breeding pairs are carefully selected.
“Five naturalistic enclosures of 1,000 square metres are there. A dry mountainous region has been artificially created within the enclosures, closely resembling the snow leopard’s natural habitat,” said an official.
“Once the female leopard is pregnant, special care is taken. She is separated and kept under CCTV surveillance 24/7. Regular blood tests and body weight measurements are conducted. After birth, both mother and cub are checked and closely monitored,” the official added.
Snow leopards bred at the Darjeeling Zoo have been sent to zoos in Nainital, Shimla, and Sikkim.
Snow leopards are listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimated global population of 4,000 to 7,500.