Makalu, a two-year-old snow leopard from London's Dudley zoo, landed in Calcutta on Friday morning and left for Darjeeling in an air-conditioned ambulance by road soon after.
The snow leopard, travelling in a 5ftX3ftX2ft crate, is expected to reach Darjeeling either late on Friday or early on Saturday.
Makalu - named after the Himlayan peak - received the treatment reserved for VIPs right from the moment the Emirates flight from Dubai carrying him landed at Dum Dum airport at 8.20am.
As soon as the aircraft had taxied on to the tarmac, the crate was taken out of the cargo hold. It was soon transported to the air-conditioned ambulance, but only after Makalu underwent a health check-up.
An average passenger takes a lot longer than the 40-odd minutes Makalu took to clear customs and immigration.
"It is very hot and humid in Calcutta, very unlike the climes Makalu is used to. So everything was fast-tracked to ensure the snow leopard's fast transportation out of the airport," the official said.
Snow leopards are usually found in the mountains of central and south Asia and cannot survive in the plains.
A team from Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, led by director Piar Chand, ensured that Makalu did not suffer any inconvenience during his journey to his new home. The van in which he was being ferried to Darjeeling maintained a temperature between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius.
"The animal is under stress, so I don't know how much it will eat. We will keep trying on the way. Apart from food, we will give him water mixed with electrolytes," said Upasana Rai, a biologist at the Darjeeling zoo.
"It usually takes a whole day for the animal to recover from stress," said Uttam Mani Pradhan, a doctor at the zoo.
"After the quarantine period is over, Makalu will stay in a special enclosure at a centre outside Darjeeling. A week later, the zoo's female snow leopards will be put by turns in an enclosure next to him to know their pairing preference. Once a compatible pair is found, they will be shifted to the captive breeding enclosure," the doctor said.
Pradhan and zoo pharmacist Pradeep Kumar Singh accompanied the ambulance in an Innova.
Talking to Metro later, Pradhan said Makalu had eaten one-and-a-half kg of fresh raw chicken and drank electrolytes during a pit stop in Krishnagar.
"We are taking a 20-30 minute break after every two hours. Makalu is not showing much interest in food but is regularly taking water and ORS," he said.
Officials were exploring the possibility of a slightly longer rest for Makalu at Sukna, located at the foothills in Darjeeling.
Additional reporting by Sanjay Mandal
