Himachal supports snow leopard population, shares man-animal bondage

Shimla, Jan 31 The Himalayan range of Himachal Pradesh supports a good population of the wide-roaming snow leopard with a bulk of its occurrence is reported outside protected areas, indicating a deep-rooted man-animal bondage.

This fact came to light in the just completed three-year first scientific assessment by the state wildlife wing in collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation.

But separate study points an alarming trend too with the rise in the population of abandoned dogs that might pose a threat to the snow leopard and its food chain.

The snow leopard, a graceful golden-eyed animal with thick fur, padded paws and a long tail, is found in rocky regions at an altitude from 2,700 to 6,000 metres

( With inputs from IANS )