http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_snow-leopard-cub-rescued-from-kashmir_1348060
ANI
Monday, February 15, 2010 15:01 ISTBotengu (Kashmir): Wildlife wardens assisted by forest rangers rescued a three-month old snow leopard cub after it had strayed into a human habitation at Botengu village from Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. “The cub was hiding in the kitchen of the house. We didn’t tranquillise it but we relied on certain medicines to cow it down,” said Mohammed Ashraf Khan, a wildlife warden.
The animal was later taken to the office of the Divisional Conservator of Forests where veterinarians examined it.After the vets declared it as a healthy cub, the rangers relocated at to the near by jungle.
Locals hailed the prompt action taken by the wildlife department.“Wildlife officials did a fantastic job…the cub strayed into the locality from the nearby area…we are happy after the forest officials captured it,” said Sabzaar Khan, a resident.
India has the third-largest population of these spotted wild cats after China and Mongolia — of which around half are inhabited in Kashmir. (ANI)
On a winter day during late 1960s with plenty of snow on ground when I was a student and traveling back from Sopore (Kashmir) to my native village Quilmuqam Bandipur, a small Sl cub had got strayed in a roadside apple orchard unexpectedly very close to the palce Botengu where another cub has been spotted and rescued safely. This news of Sl cub capturing in Botengu was very fascinating to me. In good old days, Kashmir used to abound in wildlife species like SL, Musk dear, Kashmir Stag and Brown bear, now on the verge of extinction. I think it is time to join together in restoring the population and habitat of these lovely flagship species in Kashmir irrespective of the political borders.
Relocation of Snow Leopard cub an elusive and endangered Species of High altitude area is a great job done by the Wildlife officiales of the Jammu and kashmir forest department.Here we should also appreciate the concern shown by the villagers as regard to the safety of the cub which reflect their attitude,how important the wildlife is for co-existance and every living being on Mother Earth have every right to live in peace & harmony lest we do encroach/infiltrate other’s ‘Habitat’ ? It also remind me How great /tough is to handrear the two orphaned cubs,when i was posted in Lahaul area of Himachal Pradesh way back in 1998.I can never forget those relishing momments in my whole life.
It is good that the snow leopards are being saved from the wrath of public by saving them, by Forest and wildlife department, as well as Indian Army. But no concrete effort has been made to put them in a breeding center or to relocate them.I as director of Darjeeling zoo, made efforts to bring rescued animals to darjeeling but in vain. Though what Mr Katwal has written, out of those two rescued cubs , which at that time were brought to Darjeeling, one is still surviving and has contributed immensely in conservation breeding efforts.