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Dudley zoo snow leopard heading to the Himalayas

Dudley Zoo's youngest snow leopard has been given a clean bill of health as they begin preparations for his departure to India.

Credit: Dudley Zoological Gardens

Two-year-old Makalu will soon be leaving for Darjeeling Zoo in India, almost 5,000 miles away.

The move is a part of a global breeding programme, which could potentially see Makalu’s descendants released into the wild.

This is an incredibly exciting move for Makalu and the snow leopard species in general, as he'll be playing an important role in securing the future of their endangered species.

Darjeeling Zoo is located in the foot of the Himalayan mountains, which is the native region of the snow leopard and is internationally recognised for its conservation breeding programmes for the species, so Makalu is going to the best place possible.

– Curator Richard Brown

Ahead of the move, expected to happen within weeks, the Dudley zoo veterinary team carried out a full health check on the snow leopard.

He was sedated throughout the ten-minute investigation, taking blood tests and giving him a rabies vaccination, as well as measuring and weighing the big cat for his travel crate ahead of his journey to India.

Makalu was born at the Dudley Zoo on 17April, 2014 to mum, Nanga, six and dad, Margaash, who turned six yesterday. This is their second cub.