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Snow
Leopard
WWF - Pakistan rescues an orphaned Snow Leopard
During the week prior to July 12, 2005, the WWF - Pakistan started receiving news that a goat herder and his family in the Nalter region of the Northern Areas, about a two hours drive over rough roads from Gilgit, were giving shelter to an orphaned snow leopard cub. Then the goat heard himself, acting on his own initiative, approached the WWF - Pakistan for their help. There were conflicting stories about how the cub was orphaned. This cub was a loss to the wild as such losses exert immense pressure on the already declining wild population of the snow leopards.
WWF - Pakistan , Gilgit Office staff, Sajid, who could understand the local Shina language, visited the village and was able to find out that the cub was alive. He discovered that the cub was being kept in a storage shed. He would sit on grain bags or sometimes played with the goat herder's children, who treated him gently and with care. Occasionally, the cub would even sleep with them, especially close to one of the child's head. It was, however, doubtful if continued survival was possible despite the best efforts of the goat herder and his family.
Snow Leopard Project of WWF-Pakistan is dedicated to enhancing the existing information base about the Snow leopard and its conservation through community participatio. |
Returning to Gilgit with all this information about the cub, the office manager immediately entered into consultation with Douglas Kuzmaik who is doing consultancy work for the WWF - Pakistan . The two of them then made a return trip to the village immediately.
They saw the cub and determined that it appeared to be weak, somewhat dehydrated and possibly over-heated. They came back to the office and reported their findings to WWF - Pakistan Head Office in Lahore . There they were put in telephonic contact with the WWF - Pakistan Conservation Biologist, Uzma Khan, who had experience of rearing leopard and tiger cubs. She was contacted several times that evening by Douglas and provided detailed information that would help the villagers, if they continued to look after the cub.
The day next day, Douglas and Sajid discussed the feasibility of bringing the cub down to Gilgit but only if the Lahore Office thought it was the right course of action and suitable air-conditioned premises in Gilgit for keeping the cub temporarily could be found. The consultant broached the matter with leopard expert while contacting the Serena Hotel to assist the cub.
He received an assurance from the Serena General Manager that he could and would make available air-conditioned arrangements to house the cub on a mercy-mission basis because of the summer heat in Gilgit. Once this assurance was given, the Lahore office decided that it would be a good idea to bring the cub down to Gilgit for a few days in order to restore him back to health and to notify the proper government authorities.
They went back to the village and following instructions, gave the re-hydration formula Pedialyte to the cub and prepared him for transportation. The cub was calm and compliant and was placed in a “nest” created by the consultant acting on instructions from the leopard expert. It was made out of alpine grasses and leaves approximating a natural setting, placed in a sturdy cardboard box and on top of a thick towel for cushioning.
The cub then rode down in this box placed on the consultant's lap who sat in the backseat of the pick-up truck. At first the cub was subdued but as the trip progressed he became curious and wanted to see his surroundings. By the time the metalled road leading to Gilgit was reached the cub was comfortably enjoying the breezes through the vehicle's open windows while being held in the consultant's hands.
The cub spent its first night down from the mountains in the company of the foreign consultant and his wife in the WWF - Pakistan Gilgit Office because of the unusually cool and rainy weather conditions. It was also felt that the cub already had enough excitement and stress for one day. He was duly fed on goat's milk provided by the goat herder and slept soundly in his “nest” (the cardboard box) close to Douglas and his wife in their guestroom at the Gilgit WWF - Pakistan Office. During the entire journey, Douglas was in close contact with Uzma through telephone and emails and was provided detailed information on to how to care for the cub.
On July 13 the cub was examined by an experienced and respected Gilgit veterinary surgeon and it was found to be essentially healthy with no outward signs of disease, although in a weakened condition. Overall, the prognosis for its immediate survival was good to excellent.
Members of the Northern Areas Forest Department, Wildlife Division and the Federal Government had been notified of the cub's arrival in Gilgit the night before and numerous representatives of these agencies gathered in the WWF - Pakistan Gilgit Office around noon for a meeting. It was then determined that in their opinion transferring the cub immediately to a residential compound at the Khunjerab National Park was the wisest course of action to ensure the cub's survival. This decision was relayed to the WWF - Pakistan in Lahore and Islamabad who also agreed.
A part of the residential facility at Khunjerab National Park could be adapted for use by the cub on a longer-term basis and the compound would provide ample space for it to run and strengthen its muscles while also enjoying the cool weather of the 10,000ft high park. It could also sun itself there which is important for the formation of healthy coat and bones. The cub, therefore, was transferred in the company of Wildlife officials and Sajid, Manager Gilgit Office, WWF – Pakistan .
The cub endured the trip well, even cooperating for a “photo opportunity” with a French professional photo-journalist who promised to put his picture in the Parisian newspaper, La Monde. On arriving at the park residential compound the cub was given chicken parts, and he played and licked them. He began settling into his new surrounding nicely. On Sunday, July 17, Uzma arrived from Lahore for a week long visit with the cub. She confirmed that the animal was indeed about six weeks old. A “keeper,” Alam from the Northern Areas Forest and Wildlife Department, with many years of game park experience, was detailed to specifically look after the cub.
It was affirmed that the cub should never be returned to the wild because of its almost continuous and reasonably intense habituation to human beings, beginning with the goat herd and his family, the office manager, the consultant and his wife, numerous staffers of the WWF-P Gilgit who looked in on the cub, the personnel of the Wildlife Division, Northern Areas Forest Department, people the cub encountered en route to the national park, the “keeper”, other staff members of the park and visitors in the park, all contributed to conditioning the cub to human presence.
Uzma remained adamant that these contacts had forever removed the animal's sense of wildness especially because it happened when he was so young. While the cub might forget individuals, in his own mind he would forever consider himself, in his own way, a human and not a snow leopard. She stressed that in the wild the snow leopard learns to hunt from its mother by observation and that the snow leopard usually stays with its mother from between 18 to 22 months. This cub will have none of the benefits of learning from its mother and no matter how much it may imitate a “hunting posture” that does not imply nor should it be taken as meaning that the cub has the ability to survive in the wild.
It was also made clear that in the wild male snow leopards are highly territorial, as are females although in a somewhat less aggressive manner. Never having been around animals of its own species, the cub would have no appreciation for the dynamics of snow leopard society and would probably be killed by animals defending their own territory. The cub, even when grown, would not have the knowledge or capacity to defend itself and to effectively fight back.
Meanwhile, the Uzma expressed concern for the near-future. She said that the animal would grow quickly and therefore he would need a tall enclosure. The present wall of the facility is no more than five feet high. He would also soon outgrow goats milk and would start needing different varieties of meat.
It was thought that the government facility would not be adequate for the growing snow leopard nor would there be enough food to provide for his growing needs. She stressed that there is very little time left before the necessary steps will have to be taken and the time to act for the future was now.
Latest in September
WWF - Pakistan Director of Environmental Education and Northern Areas Dr. Ghulam Akbar, Mohammad Ibrahim, Dr. Javed Khan and Uzma Khan all mutually agreed that this Snow leopard cub, though unfortunate also provides an opportunity to enhance conservation education.
The development is that WWF Pakistan has been able to raise some money to put up a permanent facility for this cub near Khunjarab National Park . WWF Pakistan is also contributing towards the food expenses of rearing this cub. Presently, WWF – Pakistan , Head of Northern Area Mohammad Ibrahim is negotiating with the Government of Northern Areas on the exact area where the enclosure will be constructed. Furthermore, he is in dialogue with the local community about taking lead in the looking after this cub and conservation of Snow leopards in the wild.
For further information contact
Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, Head Northern Areas
Ibk65@yahoo.com
Uzma Khan, Conservation Biologist
ukhan@wwf.org.pk
Dr. Javed Khan, Snow Leopard Conservation Project
javed@snowleopard.org
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