GILGIT, Aug 5: A snow leopard cub that was caught in Naltar village, 35km northwest of Gilgit by a local shepherd on July 12, 2005 is being handed over to the Bronx Zoo in New York, USA.

The sources said that it was 6-week-old when it was caught and it was handed over to Northern Areas wildlife department and Worldwide Fund For Nature (WWF) Gilgit on July 12, 2005.

The cub was brought to Gilgit for medical examination and then shifted to a community maintained hut in Bailly near Khunjerab National Park so that better and cool environment could be provided.

A wildlife field supervisor Kamal was appointed to take its care in the hut who remained attached to the cub so far. However, International Union for Conservation of Nature and MACP (Mountain Areas Conservancy Project) and partially the Worldwide Fund For Nature provided technical and financial support during upbringing the cub.

Now the cub nick-named “Leo” is being handed over the Bronx Zoo on certain terms and conditions, the sources said.

They said the terms included that the government of Pakistan would retain ownership of the cub and handing over to the Bronx Zoo for care management and inclusion in the snow leopard breeding programme.

The sources said that this snow leopard cub has now grown enough, but still it will not be advisable to set it free in its habitat until it becomes mature enough to acquire its food through predation in its natural environment.

Therefore, till the time, due to non-availability of the basic facilities required it has been decided by the government to lend it to the Bronx Zoo New York (USA) till the time that the becomes a full adult.

The technical cadre of the IUCN Pakistan has facilitated the process of nursing of the cub and later in safe transfer to better care facility in the Bronx Zoo.

The Bronx Zoo has already 72 such snow leopards. An official of IUCN Gilgit said that the snow leopard Leo has also become an ambassador for building linkages of the Wildlife Department of Northern Areas with the Bronx Zoo and WCS for future collaboration in the following areas including cooperation for designing and construction of similar facilities for wildlife rehabilitation in the Northern Areas.