20/12/2022
A picture of Kamal and Leo the snow leopard.
Leo was rescued as a young orphaned cub by Kamal when he was 7 weeks old.
Kamal is an inspector in Gilgit Baltistan Wildlife Department. Leo spent 16 months with him and they developed a very close friendship. Here’s Leo’s story as narrated by Kamal.
“When i rescued him, he was very sick; he had loose motion; i gave him tiny pieces of raw liver, some goat milk and Flygyl syrup; in the morning, his loose motion was cured. When i rescued him, he was 800 grams, within a few days, he gained 25 kilograms.”
“We got to spend 16 months together. We become friends and he saw me as his parents. He used to play with me and never displayed any signs of aggression. In the beginning, he was at my home, then he was transferred to a park and from there to Naltar. I was with him throughout his stay in Pakistan. Eventually, in 2005, he was flown to Bronx Zoo in United States through a collaboration between WCS, United States Department of State and Government of Pakistan. Leo still lives in the Himalayan Highlands part of Bronx Zoo and has given birth to newer generations of snow leopards.”
“Leo was one year old in this picture taken at my home in Sost. He now lives at Himalayan Highlands part of Bronx Zoo.”
There is also a book based on Leo’s story named ‘Leo, the Snow Leopard: The True Story of an Amazing Rescue’ Written by Craig Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Juliana Hatkoff.
Mountain TV
