16th December 2005
US Consulate offers housing facility to the Orphan Snow Leopard Cub

LAHORE– The US consulate in Islamabad offered the Federal Ministry of Environment a permanent facility to an orphan Snow Leopard cub that was rescued by WWF – Pakistan in July 2005 in a US Zoo. WWF – Pakistan feels that a permanent facility of this rapidly growing cub should be developed in the Northern Area.

The US consulate may support establishment of such a facility. There is not a single snow leopard in captivity in Pakistan and this cub can help in raising conservation awareness and issues of Snow Leopard in Pakistan, which is a range country of this species. According to data published in 1996, in IUCN’ s Cats status and survey report, US had 175 zoos with 436 Snow leopards, these statistics are likely to have changed now. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) ‘s species survival plan indicates that the zoo population of Snow leopard in the US started with 38 wild caught leopard that were brought into capacity in 1960s.

WWF – Pakistan rescued this orphan cub from Naltar Valley, Northern Areas. The unfortunate incident happened when a local shot the mother snow leopard. Loss of adult leopard and a cub from the dwindling wild population of Snow leopards is a huge loss. WWF – Pakistan feels that Snow leopard should be protected in the wild and any person involved in killing a protected species should be persecuted.

Snow Leopard is an endangered species, protected under provincial legislation and also through international conventions such as Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), prohibiting the trade of Snow leopard or its body parts.

For further information: Uzma Khan, WWF – Pakistan, Ferozepur Road, Lahore. Tel: +92 42 5862360, 5869429, Fax: 042 5862358, e-mail: ukhan@wwf.org.pk