A Scottish zoo has shared its heartbreak after one of its rare snow leopard cubs had to be put down due to an incurable bone condition.
Indra, who was just three months old, had been placed under close observation after developing a slight limp.
The cub underwent a series of medical examinations before vets intervened, carrying out further tests and specialist assessments.
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Sadly, it was found that the bone condition would impact Indra’s quality of life.
And so, the difficult decision was made to put him to sleep.
“Indra began to exhibit behaviours that suggested something was wrong,” Dr Stephanie Mota, who is the head of veterinary services,” told Need To Know.
“And after initial tests, we became increasingly concerned.
“Further tests confirmed the worst and we made the difficult decision to put him to sleep.”
Indra was born alongside his twin sister, Tama, at Highland Wildlife Park in Kincraig, Scotland, in June 2026.
They were mother Pari and father Koshi’s first cubs – and the first litter to be born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) site.
Until the aforementioned mobility issues occurred, the family had been doing well.
It’s expected that, within the next two years, Tama will be moved to another enclosure.
Dr Mota added: “This is incredibly hard news to share.
“Indra was such a joy to watch growing and playing with his sister.
“He will be greatly missed.”
Snow leopards are classed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and are native to rugged mountain ranges in Central and South Asia
In the UK, over eight zoos house them as part of conservation and breeding programmes.
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