Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Darjeeling Zoo Steps Up Conservation of Vulnerable Himalayan Salamander
The Himalayan salamander is a small animal that looks a little like a lizard but is an amphibian, like a frog.
It lives in the mountains of the eastern Himalayas in India, Nepal and Bhutan.
There are not many left in the wild, so scientists call it 'vulnerable,' meaning it needs help to survive.
A famous zoo in Darjeeling, India, takes care of these salamanders.
Recently, the zoo made their salamander home even nicer by fixing up the pond and adding plenty of plants and moisture.
A special team of experts watches over them, checking the water and how they are growing.
The salamanders are fed live earthworms and their home is kept just right for them.
The zoo now has more than 40 Himalayan salamanders, and the team hopes the number will keep climbing.
Forest workers nearby are also protecting the wild places where these salamanders live.
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Darjeeling Zoo) has intensified conservation efforts for the Himalayan salamander, an amphibian native to the eastern Himalayas.
The initiative gained fresh impetus over the past six months following guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA).
The Himalayan salamander, found in India, Nepal and Bhutan, is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red data list, with only about 30 breeding sites remaining in the Darjeeling hills.
The zoo renovated the salamander enclosure and pond and formed a research team that monitors water pH, growth, and the wetland environment, feeding the animals live earthworms.
The zoo's salamander population has grown to more than 40, while the Kurseong forest division has identified at least 12 wild habitats for the species.
- Who
- The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (Darjeeling Zoo), guided by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), with support from the Kurseong forest division.
- What
- The zoo has intensified conservation and captive breeding efforts for the Himalayan salamander, including renovation of its enclosure and dedicated monitoring.
- When
- Over the six months before the report, following guidelines issued by the Central Zoo Authority.
- Where
- Darjeeling Zoo in the Darjeeling hills of the eastern Himalayas; the species is also found in Nepal and Bhutan and in habitats across the Kurseong forest division.
- Why
- Because the Himalayan salamander is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red data list, with only around 30 breeding sites left in the Darjeeling hills, many outside protected areas.
- Species
- Himalayan salamander
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN red data list)
- Native range
- India, Nepal, Bhutan
- Maximum length
- Around 17 centimetres
- Lifespan
- Up to 11 years
- Population at Darjeeling Zoo
- More than 40
- Breeding sites in Darjeeling hills
- Around 30
- Kurseong forest division habitats
- At least 12