Of all the big cats, the snow leopard is the least studied. This is a very secretive and cautious animal, and the inaccessibility of its habitat makes it even more difficult to study this mysterious predator. Next, I will share my knowledge with you and tell you everything I know today about the snow leopard.
First, let's look at the name. Nowadays it is customary to call a snow leopard a leopard, although in fact the word “leopard” is actually a synonym for the word “leopard”. In ancient times, leopards in Rus' were called “leopards.” The word "leopard" is of Turkic origin, and "leopard" is of Latin origin, which literally means "spotted lion." Over time, the foreign word “leopard” took root in the Russian language and leopards began to be called leopards, and the snow leopard is still called leopard. Its other name is snow leopard. Be that as it may, this is a completely different animal from the leopard. And although he outwardly resembles his brighter relative, their characters are completely different.
Although the snow leopard is a member of the Pantherinae subfamily, it is noticeably different from its other members. Previously, it was included in the genus Panthera together with the tiger, lion, jaguar and leopard, then it was separated into a separate genus Uncia. However, recently the phylogeny of the snow leopard was revised and its close relationship with the tiger was revealed, after which this species was again placed in the genus Panthera. It is much less aggressive than other panthers, and its roar is not as powerful as that of members of the Panthera genus. In addition to roaring, the snow leopard can make many other sounds. For example, it purrs, just like a domestic cat, and can also make a completely unusual roar. It's very difficult for me to describe it in words. I have never heard such sounds from any other cat species. Probably, such sounds serve as a call for snow leopards during the breeding season. Well, in general it must be said that the snow leopard is a rather quiet animal.
The snow leopard has a very strong, elongated body with relatively short and very thick paws, which, due to their width, are perfectly adapted for moving through deep snow. The hind limbs are slightly longer than the forelimbs. Thanks to this, the snow leopard jumps excellently and is one of the best jumpers among cats (and, perhaps, among animals in general).
The snow leopard's eyes are large and very expressive, with an intelligent and, I would say, deep look. The iris of the eye is gray-green (with a bias in one direction or another), which harmonizes perfectly with the overall smoky color. Constricting in bright light, the pupils of his eyes do not take on an elliptical shape, as in most small cats, but a round one, characteristic of panther cats. The fur of the snow leopard is soft to the touch, long and very thick. The tail is very long and fluffy. Such a tail helps the animal not to lose balance when it makes acrobatic jumps. In addition, such a fluffy tail can also serve as a kind of blanket, helping the animal not to waste heat during sleep. Weight ranges from approximately 25 to 75 kg. On average, the weight of adult animals is 35-55 kg (depending on gender).
These beautiful animals have a wonderful disposition. They are not at all aggressive towards humans and will never attack them unless the person himself provokes the animal. Once introduced to people at an early age, a leopard can become very attached to its owner and become completely tame. In this regard, this is far from a leopard; the leopard, as noted above, has a completely different character.
The snow leopard is widespread in Central and Central Asia. It lives in mountains up to 5500 and even 6000 meters above sea level. In winter, following the ungulates, the leopard descends lower. Being excellent climbers, the snow leopard is perfectly adapted to life in such harsh conditions.
Its prey is most often mountain goats and rams, and at low altitudes deer and wild boars. Smaller animals, such as hares, marmots, black grouse, etc., are no exception.
Like all other large cats, the snow leopard can hunt both during the day and at night, but most often at dusk.
The snow leopard has practically no natural enemies. Where it lives, the leopard is the top predator. True, at lower altitudes conflicts with wolves can arise, but this happens extremely rarely. The only enemy of the snow leopard is man. It is thanks to some irresponsible representatives of this most dangerous of predators that the Earth has ever known that snow leopards are becoming fewer and fewer. Its habitat is gradually decreasing. In the Caucasus they have long disappeared. The snow leopard's relative, the leopard, is hanging on there with all its strength.
The individual ranges of the animals are simply huge. I won’t tell you the exact numbers so as not to lie, but the hunting territory of the snow leopard is, as a rule, larger than that of the leopard.
A loner by nature, the leopard avoids meeting others of its own kind, except, of course, for the breeding season, which usually occurs at the beginning of the year. The female chooses some secluded place, for example a cave, or a rock crevice, in which she brings her offspring. Kittens are born approximately 100 days after mating. There can be from one to five kittens in a litter, but most often there are two or three. The weight of newborns is approximately 450-550 grams. The first days the kittens are blind and completely helpless. The eyes open only after a week. Leopard cubs feed on milk for up to three months, after which the mother gradually begins to wean them off this and teach them to hunt. By the age of two, young leopards become completely independent. At this time, they reach puberty.
The lifespan of a leopard can be more than 20 years, but in natural conditions this most likely happens rarely.
Classification:
Family: Felidae (felines)
Subfamily: Pantherinae (panthers)
Genus: Panthera/Uncia (snow leopards or snow leopards)
Species: Panthera/Uncia uncia (snow leopard, or snow leopard)
Photo gallery:
Skulls:
Habitat:
The rural school immediately stands out against the backdrop of the desert landscape. In front of the two-story building is a white sculpture of a female worker in the lotus position, which from a distance resembles a Buddha statue. Despite the day off, there is excitement at school: there is a performance in the gym. Schoolchildren dressed in white plush overalls with black spots dance on a makeshift stage. They show the guests a play they composed themselves - about snow leopard cubs lost in the mountains. Their father, a large snow leopard, fell into a trap and died. “I was very touched by this performance,” says Marcus Raddai, expert from the Berlin branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
In November 2015, he traveled to Western Mongolia to join an expedition to study the world's most understudied big cat species in Khar Us Nuur National Park.
The snow leopard, also known as the snow leopard, lives only in 12 countries in Central Asia, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Afghanistan, and India. Today this species is on the verge of extinction. In Mongolia, the snow leopard population has decreased by almost 20 percent over the past 20 years. The World Wildlife Fund is trying in a variety of ways to help preserve snow leopards. WWF considers educational programs for schoolchildren to be one of the main directions of this work.
“Even though Mongolian children live a nomadic life, they typically never encounter snow leopards,” says Marcus Raddai. Therefore, it is important for him that the fate of snow leopards becomes close to them. In addition, a two-week expedition to Khar-Us-Nuur National Park will help Radday not only better study snow leopards, but also spread the word about them in Germany, where WWF is collecting donations for snow leopard conservation.
The main goal is to catch a snow leopard and put a collar with a navigator on it. This device will transmit information about all movements of the animal for two years. Once WWF employees know exactly the paths that snow leopards walk, they can try to protect them as much as possible from encounters with humans. After all, the main reason for the extinction of the snow leopard in Mongolia is “revenge killings”: nomads shoot snow leopards because the predators steal their sheep and goats. In addition to Markus Raddai, Oliver Samzon, who writes a blog, and photographer Thorsten Milse are participating in the expedition from the German side. The rest of the team are scientists from the WWF Mongolian office.
“The deserted expanses are the first thing that strikes you about Mongolia,” says Marcus Raddai. In an area the size of four Germanys, only three million people live, half of them in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. The landscapes in Khar-Us-Nuur National Park are similar to those of Mars: gray earth, reddish hills - and no signs of human presence.
“On the scarce Mongolian land, nomads graze 60-70 million livestock,” says Marcus Raddai. “You can imagine how hard the struggle for resources is here!” The photographs taken during the expedition show herds of camels, sheep, and cashmere goats. In the hilly, rocky desert, their entire diet is sparse patches of dried grass.
“The resource situation is getting worse every year,” laments Marcus Raddai. Mongolia is one of the countries that is most affected by the harmful effects of global climate change. The maximum permissible threshold for average temperature rise established by the 2015 Paris Agreement has already been exceeded by two degrees. It is believed that once this threshold is “broken,” irreversible changes will begin on the planet.
Now in Mongolia in winter, less and less ice forms on the tops of the mountains, but the ice caps that melt in the spring are the main source of water in the local steppes. The pastures are gradually turning into desert. This means that nomads are increasingly forced to graze their herds in the habitat of snow leopards. “We kept seeing herders in the national park, even though grazing is prohibited,” says Marcus Raddai.
For snow leopards, livestock are easy prey. Moreover, the number of mountain goats and argali, which are hunted by snow leopards in the wild, is constantly declining. Thus, global climate change is leading to an exacerbation of the ancient conflict between man and predator.
“We have already become accustomed to the endless Mongolian expanses, but it still looks like a small miracle: you drive for hours, seemingly without any landmarks, completely off-road, and suddenly you find yourself at a lonely yurt,” writes Oliver Samzon in his blog.
The yurt for the German expedition members is set up at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, the Mongols set up a bivouac even higher.
“Having experienced first-hand all the hardships of life in this harsh climate, when you languish from the heat during the day, and at night you shiver from the cold and piercing wind, you involuntarily become imbued with respect for those who live high in the mountains,” says Marcus Raddai.
According to scientists, 37 snow leopards live in the Zhargalant mountain range, where the expedition members settled. It is believed that this is a lot for an area of 500 square kilometers.
Snow leopards live alone. They are very conservative, walking along the same paths, so almost all local snow leopards have already been identified using photo and video traps. They are distinguished by the color of their fur - each animal has it individually.
Another method of monitoring is collars with a GPS navigator, which tells scientists the coordinates of the animal every four hours. But in order to put this “beacon” on a snow leopard, it must be caught and euthanized. “Of course, this is a lot of stress for the animal,” admits Marcus Raddai. “But we are doing this to gain new knowledge that will help preserve the snow leopard.” So there is still more benefit from this for the snow leopard than harm.”
It is very difficult to catch a snow leopard, it is not for nothing that they call it "the elusive spirit of the mountains." It is incredibly wary, active only at dusk, and is perfectly camouflaged thanks to its smoky-spotted coloration. For the first few days, all searches for snow leopards in the mountains are fruitless. But Oliver Samzon discovers on one of the rocks at an altitude of 3000 meters a drawing from the Neolithic era, which ancient people made perhaps about 5000 years ago. “This is an image of a snow leopard - with a huge fluffy tail. I’m so happy, as if I saw a real leopard!” - Oliver immediately writes on his blog.
People have long considered the snow leopard to be a mysterious, semi-mythical creature. Local nomads believed that the howls of the snow leopard were the cries of Bigfoot. Snow leopards actually make sounds that are quite unusual for big cats: they cannot growl. Therefore, some scientists believe that the snow leopard is a separate genus in the cat family, intermediate between small and large cats.
On the sixth day, a local huntsman calls: a male snow leopard has fallen into a trap set by members of the expedition. “You can’t hesitate for a minute! We return to camp, grab everything we need and rush in the jeep to the trap,” writes Oliver.
The predator, which is no longer trying to escape, looks warily at people with its ears flattened. “Note that, unlike the tiger, the snow leopard does not seek to free itself at any cost,” notes Marcus Raddai. Veterinarian Chimdae shoots an ampoule of sleeping pills at the “prisoner” from a distance of several tens of meters. After 15 minutes you can already approach the sleeping animal.
The time for all research is only half an hour. “It has a very dense and hard coat to the touch, through which you don’t even feel body heat,” says Raddai. The snow leopard is measured and weighed: he is four years old and weighs 40 kilograms. The snow leopard's wound from the trap on its paw is treated with iodine and a two-kilogram collar with a sensor is put on it. After two years, when the battery runs out, the collar should fall off by itself.
The next day - luck again: in one of the traps a female snow leopard was found, one of the three snow leopards that were equipped with “beacons” in previous years. She already has a name - Tinger, which means "sky" in Mongolian. For some reason, her collar did not fall off after two years and continued to record information. Therefore, scientists know quite a lot about Tinger’s life. For example, they know that during this time she gave birth and raised offspring. The Tinger is given a new collar, measured, weighed and released into the wild.
The snow leopard, which was caught first, was also given a name - Nairamdal, “friendship” in Mongolian. Cooperation between Germany and Mongolia to save snow leopards began only last year. But the friendship between the Mongolian and German WWF offices has been around for many years.
“The active cooperation between Germany and Mongolia is another legacy of the GDR,” explains Marcus Raddai. By the way, he oversees the entire Altai-Sayan ecoregion, so he visits not only Mongolia, but also Russia, which also signed the Bishkek Declaration on the conservation of the snow leopard in 2013.
Several dozen snow leopards now live in Russia. The World Wildlife Fund has set itself the goal of doubling their numbers by 2020. In Mongolia, WWF’s main task is to preserve the snow leopard population, preventing conflicts between people and animals that arise in the struggle for endangered resources.
Since ancient times, in Mongolia it was believed that killing a snow leopard brings bad luck. “But civilization is gradually reducing faith in omens”, complains Marcus Raddai. Shepherds continue to kill snow leopards, despite the prohibitions. In addition, about two dozen snow leopards become victims of poachers every year: snow leopards are valued for their bones, which are used in traditional medicine, and for their rare fur.
“We decided to remind people of an ancient belief,” says Marcus. “WWF has already made a feature film about an old man who teaches young people to respect a snow leopard and warns against killing it.”
The foundation's most important target audience is children and teenagers. They will be responsible in the future for the conservation of rare animal species. “I was amazed at how emotional the children were about protecting the snow leopard,” Marcus Raddai again recalls a theatrical production he saw in one of the rural schools.
It all started when, during one of the lessons, schoolchildren were shown a clip about a wounded leopard, filmed using a video trap. The snow leopard was limping badly: its paw fell into a trap set for a marmot. For an animal caught in such a trap, the only chance to survive is to bite off its own paw. Traps are prohibited here, but in many Mongolian families they have been preserved since ancient times. Mongolian schoolchildren not only composed a play, but also came up with a campaign to exchange traps for various useful utensils.
The foundation supported this idea and printed posters with an exchange scheme: for one trap - two plastic buckets, and for six - a large aluminum can. As a result, schoolchildren collected about 240 traps, from which they made a symbolic sculpture commissioned by WWF. Now it decorates the courtyard of the Mongolian office of the World Wildlife Fund: a globe, a small child, and next to it is the graceful figure of a snow leopard cub.
Powerful and hardy, snow leopards, also called snow leopards, live quietly where most other felines cannot survive. Nature has endowed them with thick fur that reliably protects them from frost, sharp teeth, powerful paws and developed intelligence, so in the wild this predator has almost no enemies, with the possible exception of people.
Facts about snow leopards
- These big cats are still poorly studied because they live mainly in hard-to-reach areas.
- The weight of an adult snow leopard can reach 55 kg, and the length of the body including the tail exceeds 2 meters.
- Unlike the Amur tiger, the snow leopard's spots on its skin are not continuous, but rather ring-shaped ().
- Snow leopards are facing extinction, despite the fact that hunting them is strictly prohibited. According to various estimates, there are from 3 to 7 thousand snow leopards left all over the world. They are included in both the Russian and international Red Books.
- Judging by archaeological finds, snow leopards lived on Earth already 1.2-1.4 thousand years ago. Their fossilized remains found in Pakistan date back to this age.
- Snow leopards can purr like regular domestic cats. But, on the contrary, they do not know how to growl.
- Raised from childhood, snow leopard kittens quickly get used to humans and become tame.
- The snow leopard rarely hunts mice and hares, preferring larger prey. Often his victims are larger than him.
- Leopards are often called leopards, so because of their external similarity, snow leopards began to be called snow leopards ().
- For shelter from bad weather, snow leopards usually make dens in caves and rock crevices.
- The long and thick tail of the snow leopard serves as a steering wheel and counterweight, helping to maintain balance while jumping.
- Male snow leopards are usually a third larger than females.
- Thanks to their wide paws, snow leopards can calmly walk even on loose snow without falling into it.
- Females nursing kittens wrap them with their fluffy tails to protect them from the cold.
- Snow leopards can take a running jump of 6-8 meters.
- Snow leopards prefer to live in the mountains, at an altitude of several kilometers. So, in the Himalayas they are sometimes found at an altitude of 5-5.5 km, but this is the height of the peak of the Russian Elbrus, and the atmospheric pressure here is half as low as at sea level ().
- The hard tubercles that dot the surface of snow leopards' tongues help them easily separate meat from bones.
- Females of these big cats give birth once every 2 years, usually giving birth to 2-3 kittens. They spend the first two years of their life with their mother and then leave.
- Snow leopards are the only cats on the planet that live so high in the mountains.
- Extremely acute vision allows them to see white prey on white snow from a distance of several kilometers.
- From a biological point of view, the snow leopard's closest relative is the tiger ().
- In captivity, snow leopards live 20 years, and in the wild - 11-12. The officially registered longevity record is 28 years.
- Snow leopards never attack people. Why is unknown, although, of course, it is for the better.
- They are predominantly nocturnal, preferring to sleep in a safe shelter during the day.
- October 23 is considered International Snow Leopard Day.
- Unlike most other felines, snow leopards have round, rather than vertical, pupils.
- Despite the fact that each male snow leopard has “his own” territory, he will not show aggression if he meets another male on it.
- The snow leopard's paw pads are covered with fur, like those of a lynx. This also helps him not to fall into the snow ().
- The length of the snow leopard's tail is comparable to the length of its entire body.
- Among all land predators, the snow leopard is the most secretive, and that is why it is so poorly studied.
- Snow leopards spend their entire lives alone, and males meet females only during a short mating season. The male does not take part in the fate of the offspring, placing all responsibility on the female.
- The word “irbis” translated from one of the Turkic languages means “snow cat”.
- Snow leopards are no strangers to fun. Researchers have observed them skiing down snow-covered slopes while lying on their backs, and then repeating this activity without any purpose, just for fun.
On this day two years ago, the couple snow leopards Sarah and Arbat had their first child, a daughter, at the zoo. The mother refused to feed the baby, and director Irina Skiba asked Galina Alekseevna to take on maternal care for the newborn. The offer was received by telephone at the moment when the festive table was set and guests were gathering. An ornithologist by profession, Galina Alekseevna had never had to feed mammals before, but overcoming her doubts, she agreed. The step was also desperate because the zoo had no experience in artificially feeding snow leopards.
A blind kitten weighing 491 grams and 15 centimeters long, who arrived to the Afanasyevs on the owner’s birthday, became the epicenter of attention, care, love and anxiety of the whole family, including the dog. The head of the family gave the girl an affectionate name. “And while they were happily strolling,” Galina recalls, “the little walker was peeling off my skin with its sharp, non-retractable claws.”
(Later the little leopard learned to hide its claws - author's note). Due to the fact that Gulya did not receive the protective substances contained in maternal colostrum in the first hours after birth, she turned out to be vulnerable to microbes. In the first month of her life, she suffered a whole bunch of diseases - rickets, pneumonia, enteritis, diabetes, hepatitis - each of which could have been fatal. The zoo veterinarians rose at night at the first signal from Galina Alekseevna. She herself gave Gula injections every two hours and gave her milk from a pipette. The little leopard survived all adversities.
Gulya began to recover, gradually turning from a runt who had gone bald during her illness into a beauty. She was a very active, energetic kitten, playing "hunt" up to 6 hours a day. In a large family, she always had a partner, who, as a rule, acted as prey. The most exciting hunt began when daughter Ira returned from school. At this time the apartment was shaking with running, jumping, the roar of falling things, war cries and joyful cries.
At the age of four months, much to the family's regret, Gulya returned to the zoo. She had a hard time with the change of environment, and to help her adapt, Galina Alekseevna lived with her in a cage for a couple of weeks, leaving for a short time when Gulya was sleeping - to have a snack and take a shower. Visitors to the zoo, observing the man in the cage, made a variety of remarks, and Galina Alekseevna was forced to fence herself off with a curtain.
The natural parents living in the next cage greeted their daughter with hostility. It is not yet known whether they will have any more offspring. Snow leopards do not reproduce well in captivity. As for Gulya, she is expected to marry a young leopard growing up in the Kazan Zoo. When Gulya reaches puberty, they will be introduced.
Two years for Galina Alekseevna passed in endless worries about Gula. She cannot go on vacation, cannot fully relax on the weekend. The little leopard's attachment to her requires frequent communication. The foster mother feeds the girl, takes her for walks, and plays “hunt” with her. Every week early in the morning he is taken to the Central Park of Culture and Culture. Walking in nature has a beneficial effect on the leopard. She brushes her fur on the grass, breathes fresh air, enjoys the space. When Gulya becomes an adult female, and this could happen in just six months, walks in the park will stop, and she will turn out to be a recluse. This prospect upsets Galina Alekseevna most of all.
So far the little leopard is not showing any signs of aggression. In the photo you see the process of feeding her raw chicken. Not everyone dares to hand-feed meat even to their affectionate cat, but Galina Alekseevna trusts the wild animal: she tears off pieces and, without hiding her fingers, feeds them into the predator’s mouth, and he delicately takes them.
The cage door is open so that journalists can film this amazing meal. Chicken is an ordinary food in Guli’s diet, but on her birthday it looked like a festive dinner. Before this, Gulya participated in a lecture dedicated to herself with a film demonstration in the zoo lecture hall. For the second year now, on her birthday, the little leopard Galina Alekseevna tells the public everything about Gula and demonstrates the endless series that she has been filming about her from the first days of her life.
During the lecture (the hall, despite the thirty-degree heat, was full of spectators) Gulya was on the stage. She suffered from the heat, but behaved exemplary. From time to time, the assistant head of the department of predatory mammals, Irene Yurievna Maltseva, called Gulya over to pet her. Sometimes Gulya herself would approach Galina Alekseevna and rub herself against her, demanding affection. After the lecture, the couple paraded around the zoo, causing delight among visitors along the way.
For her birthday, Gula was given toys, mainly her favorite balls. Rubber balls are enough for one bite, so it’s better to give basketball ones. It was this kind of ball that Galina Alekseevna’s daughter, Ira, brought to the zoo on Gula’s birthday. Another was presented by a fan who did not identify herself, which especially touched Galina Alekseevna. The birthday girl received congratulations from her guardian - the Notary Chamber of St. Petersburg.
In honor of Guli's birthday, the zoo held a horse show on a riding circuit with the participation of a two-month-old camel Sharidu. This was her first appearance in public.
On this day, the zoo held a quiz dedicated to snow leopards. On the same day, a pleasant unplanned event occurred: the doe gave birth to a calf. Another doe gave birth on July 4th. The babies are healthy and very touching.
It's sad to say, but this birthday with the birthday girl herself may be her last. In a year, Gulya will be an adult, and her peaceful disposition will probably change.
Attended a birthday party
Natalya Rubleva,
photo by the author
Many rare animals on the planet, as everyone knows, are included in one list - this is the Red Book. The snow leopard is one of the endangered species, and today “Me and the World” will tell you about this beautiful, wild animal.
From the article you will learn: what does it look like, what does it eat, where does it live and how long does it live?
What kind of snow cat is he?
The snow leopard is also called by another name - snow leopard, or a beautiful, purring cat. Imagine, this predator doesn’t know how to growl at all!
In appearance it resembles a leopard, but with spots on smoky gray rather than yellow fur and is slightly smaller in size. An adult cat, growing up, gains from 25 to 50 kg of weight, and if you measure the length, then 2-2.30 m. Moreover, the tail alone accounts for almost 1 m and helps balance when jumping.
The eye color is truly cat-like: yellow-green, but with a round pupil. And in the mouth there are sharp and strong teeth - 30 pieces. The flexible, muscular body allows it to run quickly, and its paws with wide feet allow it to quietly sneak up on prey. And, of course, vision and sense of smell are perfectly developed. Among all cats, snow leopards grow the longest fur by winter: up to 6 cm, which allows them to perfectly survive the harsh cold of the highlands. Look how beautiful the leopard looks in the photo.
Places of residence
The homeland of snow cats is the high and sometimes inaccessible mountains of central Russia, Mongolia, Tatarstan, Kazakhstan and other Eastern countries. Their habitats are vast: hundreds of kilometers up to an altitude of 5000 m and down to coniferous forests. Snow leopards regularly walk around their territory, alone, and only allow 2-3 females into their “home”.
“Leaders” live up to 13 years, and in captivity their life expectancy increases to 20 years. There was a recorded case where a female lived in the zoo for 28 years.
Production
Snow leopards are nocturnal animals, they hunt only at dusk, and during the day they sleep in their den, sometimes they come out to bask in the sun. Interesting fact: having killed prey and having had enough, it never hides the remains and does not return to this place. Everything goes to vultures or other scavengers, and this is quite a lot, because at one time the snow leopard eats only about 3 kg of meat. When chasing prey, they can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h, but over short distances. They hunt roe deer, deer, and wild boars three times their size. They do not disdain rodents, hares and birds.
In summer, green grass is chewed in addition to meat food. And if there is a hungry year, they come to people’s homes and attack livestock.
A person is never attacked. There were a couple of cases when a rabid snow leopard inflicted severe injuries on two hunters and an old hungry animal attacked a peacefully walking person.
kids
Snow leopard cubs are born once every two years in mid-spring - early summer, small and blind, 2-3, but sometimes 5 kittens are born at once. Babies begin to open their eyes within a week. The mother feeds them until six months, although from two months she begins to feed them with meat. Young kittens learn everything they need for life from their mother; fathers never try to raise their babies.
Poaching
Why is it listed in the Red Book? Illegal hunting of leopards leads to the extinction of the species, although recently measures against poachers have been tightened and the animal population is slowly but increasing. They are shot for their beautiful skin, which can fetch up to $60,000 on the black market.
Therefore, in many countries of the world, snow leopards are listed in the Red Book. How many of them are left on earth? At last count, about 7,500 individuals. There are only 200 snow cats in Russia. Of course, you can preserve unique animals in zoos, but is this life for freedom-loving, wild animals?
The problem of the disappearance of rare animals is relevant in the world to this day. Such a terrible threat loomed over another of the leopards - Caucasian. Until the middle of the 20th century, they shot him like wolves, and even received a bonus. And as a result, they stopped talking and writing about him, it was believed that he had completely disappeared. But gradually reports of encounters with the animal began to arrive. There is hope for replenishment of the species.
We showed you a photo and description of a rare snow leopard or snow leopard. We must hope and do everything so that the animal population grows more and more every year. And for this, since 2010, a program to increase the species has been launched under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.
See also video:
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