A snow leopard was seen strolling on the road in the Nelong valley, in Uttarkashi

One of the most reclusive members of the animal kingdom, a snow leopard was seen strolling on the road in the Nelong valley, which is situated in the Gangotri National Park at an altitude of 11,000 feet, in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

The leopard, which is a rare breed of large cat, was spotted after a long time in the Himalayas and has enthused the wildlife watching community.

Gangotri National Park is one of the most high-altitude wildlife parks that is home to the rare and endangered snow leopard. As Nelong Valley is close to China border, units of ITBP are posted there. ITBP preserves the flora and fauna of the Nelong Valley.

Apart from Uttarakhand, other regions where snow leopard is found in India are Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nelong Valley has a landscape like that of a mountain desert and houses other endangered wildlife species like Himalayan blue sheep, musk deer apart from the snow leopards.

The Valley has a restricted area clause, according to which Indian tourists must obtain a permit before going to the area, but it is completely out of bound for tourists. The Valley is around 315 kilometers from Dehradun and is just 23 kilometers from the Gangotri shrine.

