In a first, a camera sighting of a snow leopard was captured in the Kumaon Himalayas. This is the first time the existence of the animal has been documented in the region.
In a first, a photographic image of a snow leopard was captured in the Kumaon Himalayas. This is the first time the existence of the animal has been documented in the region.
One of the most endangered species in the world, the snow leopard, was recently spotted in the Kumaon Himalayas. The animal was captured in the Bageshwar district of the Kumaon region.
Although the whereabouts of this animal has been known in the past, especially in the wild vicinity of the State, the Uttarakhand Forest Department officials report that this is the first time the animal was captured on camera and therefore, the first one to be documented.
The visual evidence proves that there is at least one snow leopard inhabiting the area.
During the hunt for snow leopards, to ascertain how many and where, the project entitled ‘A Baseline For Snow Leopards and Other High Altitudes’ was launched. Even though they managed to conclude with pug marks, they failed to capture the animals in print.
“Snow leopards have been here since a long time, but it’s really great to get one on camera.”
– Vipul Maurya, a research scholar who was part of the project told The Times of India.
It is estimated, based or research and surveys of regions potentially inhabited by this specie, that there are about 500 snow leopards in the country. According to Hindustan Times, there have been a total of only 11 instances of snow leopard spotting in the region for the past five years, and the photograph ascertains its existence beyond doubt.
All photo sources – Wikipedia
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