In the old days, we called a leopard a leopard. But the snow leopard is not a leopard, although it looks like one. The same black spots on the smoky gray skin (sometimes there are also black leopards). But the fur is long and fluffy, especially on the belly, up to twelve centimeters long. The leopard is a resident of the mountains (Altai, Pamir, Tien Shan, Tibet, the Himalayas and the highlands of Mongolia). High mountains - up to two to three thousand meters. And in the summer, following the mountain ungulates, leopards rise even higher - up to six thousand meters. As you know, in the mountains it is not hot in summer, but in winter it is completely cool.

The main coat color is light gray, appearing white in contrast to the black spots. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in natural environment his habitat is among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice. The spots are shaped like rosettes, inside which there may be an even smaller spot. In this respect, the snow leopard is similar to the jaguar. In the area of ​​the head, neck and limbs, the rosettes turn into black strokes. The coat is very thick and long (up to 55 mm) and serves as protection from the cold in harsh conditions. climatic conditions. From head to tail, the snow leopard measures 140 cm, the tail itself is 90-100 cm long. If we compare the length of the tail and body, then of all the cats the snow leopard has the longest tail, it makes up more than three-quarters of the body length. The snow leopard's tail serves as a balance when jumping. The length of the jump during hunting is up to 14-15 meters. The weight of an adult snow leopard can reach 100 kg.

Snow Leopard. Photo: Mark Kent

The leopard (or snow leopard, which is the same thing) watches for hours somewhere on a rock or under a rock for mountain turkeys or sheep. But in general, he is a universal hunter: he takes everyone - from mice to yaks sometimes. It does not bother people, and its disposition is apparently more good-natured than that of the panther and tiger.
Leopards love to play and roll in the snow. Having fun, they slide off the cliff on their backs, and at the bottom they quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws. Quite a sybarite. After the morning hunt, after the games, they settle down somewhere comfortable and bask in the sun.
The usual habitat is rhododendron bushes, and in some places alpine meadows and bare rocks near the borders of eternal snow. They live here in pairs - male and female.
They will give birth to two to four kittens in the spring. The lair is in a cozy crevice (sometimes in a vulture’s nest on a low tree!). The mother insulates the den with wool, having torn it from her belly. Other cats, except for the jungle cat, do not seem capable of such self-sacrifice. Leopards' milk is fatty and five times more nutritious than that of a cow. The leopard has a very long and very fluffy tail, like none of the predators. We were surprised before; Why does an animal need these excesses? But it turned out that nature did not make any design mistakes here either. When a female leopard sleeps with her babies, she hugs them close to her and covers them with her tail, like a duvet. After all, where leopards live, it is very cool, especially at night.
The leopard is a good father and helps the female raise her children.
The old leopard weighs 75 kilograms, his large stature and other features are close to big cats, but he also has something of small cats. In a good mood, a leopard, for example, purrs (puma and clouded leopard too), but can also growl. Some zoologists call the clouded leopard, leopard and puma giant small cats.

Socio-economic crisis last decades in Russia greatly influenced the nature and intensity of environmental management, which had a dual role for the snow leopard.

On the one hand, due to a reduction in the number of livestock and a decrease in pasture load, the number of the main prey of the snow leopard - the Siberian mountain goat and the Altai mountain sheep - has increased; on the other hand, as the well-being of residents deteriorated, exploitation increased significantly biological resources. The hunting grounds began to be actively used by people who had lost their jobs and who had mastered poaching methods of catching animals, in particular snare fishing, which poses a great danger to snow leopards. At the same time, snow leopard poaching has increased due to increased demand and high prices for skins.

Due to the inaccessibility of habitats and low density of the species, such species still remain poorly studied. the most important aspects biology of the snow leopard, such as the structure of the range, ability to disperse, seasonal movements, nutrition and hunting behavior (in particular, the degree of food specialization, including the composition and share of domestic animals in prey), population structure, numbers, sizes of individual areas, diurnal cycle and many others, which makes it difficult to develop adequate protection measures. This applies to the entire range of the species and especially its Russian part.

The snow leopard is brutally exterminated by poachers because of its beautiful skin. In almost all countries it is listed in the Red Book. Today, there are no more than 2,000 individuals of this beautiful predator left in the world.



The snow leopard or snow leopard is a member of the cat family. The leopards and jaguars that are closest to it in the zoological classification, in reality, bear little resemblance to the leopard.

Lifestyle of snow leopards

The habitat of the snow leopard is snowy highlands. Life in the snow has led to the emergence of a number of adaptations that distinguish the snow leopard from similar species. And it’s not even so much about appearance (color adaptation) and resistance to cold. Habits snow leopards are categorically not similar to the behavior of lions. Any leopard is an inveterate individualist, capable of hunting animals three times his size. In the cold mountains, with minimum quantity living creatures, only such a strategy is viable.

The snow leopard has no natural enemies, and meetings with representatives of their own species are rare. Having attacked and killed its prey with lightning speed, the leopard will first bring it to its lair and only then devour it. Delivery of food “home” occurs slowly, without haste. Leopards are very careful on rocky mountains.

However, when it comes to hunting, everything changes. The leopard easily and naturally jumps over rocks, covering 3-5 meters in a jump. A temperature of minus 42 degrees, which is unpleasant for any person, is the ideal norm for snow leopards.

Facts about snow leopards

The snow leopard is listed in the Red Book due to poachers. Snow leopard skins cost a fortune on the black market due to the difficulty of hunting them.

Intensification of livestock grazing alpine meadows led to a decrease in the number of wild herbivores that leopards hunt. This also brought snow leopards to the brink of extinction.

The main prey of snow leopards are sheep and mountain goats. However, sometimes yaks turn out to be food, and mice are on hunger strike. Leopard attacks on people are extremely rare.

There are about two thousand snow leopards left on the planet.

Hello friends! Guess the riddle:

Lives high in the mountains

This wild snow cat.

I am sure that you all understand perfectly well that this is a snow leopard. A predatory animal from the cat family. A relative of the tiger, panther and leopard.

This animal has other names. It is also called the snow leopard or irbis. The word “irbis” came to us from the Turkic language and means “snow cat”.

This predator is called the snowy one because of its beautiful light fur. Its fluffy, thick, warm coat is whitish-gray in color with dark ring-shaped spots, making it very similar to a leopard. And this coloring makes it almost invisible in its natural habitat. Where does he live?

Lesson plan:

Habitat

The snow leopard is a highland dweller. It lives in the high and rocky mountains of the Middle and Central Asia.

This beautiful cat can be found in countries such as:

• Afghanistan;
• China;
• India;
• Mongolia;
• Nepal;
• Pakistan, etc.

On the territory of Russia there is:

• in the Krasnoyarsk Territory;
• in the Republic of Tuva;
• in Khakassia;
• and in Altai.

The snow leopard makes its lair in caves or crevices. There he spends most of his time during the day. Resting, playing, relaxing. Well, at dawn or dusk the leopard goes hunting. Do you want to know who he's hunting? Then read on)

Hunting

As we already know, the snow leopard is a predator. It hunts ungulates such as:

• mountain goats;
• rams;
• roe deer;
• moose;
• deer.

Sometimes he likes to feast on hares, partridges, marmots and other small animals.

In summer, the leopard adds plant foods to its diet, chewing grass and various leaves.

Snow leopards hunt mostly alone. They sit in ambush for a long time, watching their prey, and then overtake it with several powerful jumps. And the predator jumps simply wonderful: up to 6 meters in length and up to 2.5 - 3 meters in height. Then the leopard drags the prey to a secluded place and eats there quietly. Moreover, in order for a leopard to eat enough, 2-3 kg of meat is enough for him, so he does not finish eating, he simply abandons the prey and leaves.

The snow leopard loves to attack its prey from above, this makes it much easier for it to knock down a large animal and kill it. The hunt continues in the hot summer and snowy winter. And winter in the mountains is harsh, but the leopard is saved from the cold by his chic, warm fur coat with thick undercoat. And in general, nature created this predator in such a way that it feels comfortable in the snow.

What does a snow leopard look like?

Leopard is much smaller than such famous ones predatory cats like a tiger or a lion. The length of its body including its head reaches 130 cm. Height at the shoulders is 60 cm. The weight of males is 45-55 kg. Males are slightly larger than females. The head is round. The ears are small and rounded. The legs are short and strong. The paws are flat and wide, this helps the snow leopard move through deep snow and not fall into it.

But if the snow is loose, then the leopard cannot walk on it without falling through. Therefore, he often tramples paths in snowdrifts, which he uses to move around. And the leopard has to walk a lot. Once every few days he makes a tour of his hunting grounds.

The snow leopard also has a beautiful, long, fluffy tail. The length of the tail can reach 1 meter. The tail helps the leopard make precise maneuvers during the hunt. That is, turn in the right direction in time. And little leopards also love to “hunt” on their mother’s gorgeous tail. They play with it when they are in the den with their mother.

Offspring

To give birth to cubs, the female makes a den in the most inaccessible and hidden places. Leopard cubs are born from April to June. Usually two to five young are born. They are born blind, but after 8 days the babies open their eyes and can see.

When the cubs are 5-6 months old, their mother begins to teach them to hunt. The whole family goes hunting, but the last decisive jump is made by the female. The mother has been raising her children for 2 years. And then they leave to live independent life. A life full of dangers.

Snow leopard's enemy

In nature, the snow leopard has no enemies. However, the leopard is in serious danger. And this danger comes from humans. It is man who is the most terrible, strong and cruel enemy of this beautiful predator. Despite the fact that leopards live in very inaccessible places, poachers kill them. They need beautiful fur, which is very expensive.

The snow leopard is afraid of people. There are only two known cases of a predator attacking a person. The first happened in 1940. Near Almaty, a leopard attacked two people and seriously injured them; as it turned out, he suffered from rabies. And in the second case, a very old, toothless, emaciated and hungry leopard jumped on a man from a cliff.

Today, only about 7,000 individuals are known to live in nature. Another 2,000 live in zoos around the world.

Snow leopards are listed in the Red Book and they need our protection. There is even a “Snow Leopard Day” in the environmental calendar; it has been celebrated since 2010 in Altai on May 26. You can read about other environmental holidays.

10 interesting facts about the snow leopard

Oh yes, I have also prepared a wonderful video for you that will give you the opportunity to see the snow leopard with your own eyes.

I wish you success in your studies!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

Meeting these legendary animals in the wild is not an easy task, because snow leopards (lat. Uncia uncia), or irbis (snow leopards), near the snow-capped peaks of some of the most high mountains world - in the Himalayas, Tien Shan, Altai.

Its secretive nature and almost mystical ability to dissolve with lightning speed among sharp rocks have made the snow leopard a character in the folklore of many Asian peoples, in which it is described as “an elusive spirit of the mountains, capable of taking on any form and even becoming invisible.”

According to a number of characteristics, the SNOW LEOPARD (IRBIS) occupies an intermediate position between large and small cats. WITH big cats The leopard is related by the pattern on its head, the way it holds its tail when the animal is calm, and a number of other anatomical features. But the leopard, like other small cats, can purr; the posture that an animal takes when eating. Given this similarity with both cats, leopards are sometimes called “average cats.” But in terms of their dimensions, they are in no way inferior to the leopard, a typical representative of the “big ones”.

Males are usually larger, more massive, stronger than their fellow tribesmen. Adult males weigh from 65 to 75 kg. Body length is up to 2.1 m. The tail (3/7 of the total length) is thick, covered with thick hair, which is why it seems that leopards have a thicker tail than leopards. The body is also covered with long hair, it looks dirty and smoky. In order not to freeze among its snows, the leopard had to acquire a thick, long undercoat, on top of which there is a long whitish-gray outer coat, often marked with a yellowish coating. In winter, the leopard's fur becomes thicker and acquires a very beautiful color. Even the paw pads are covered with hair, which helps him move through the snow. This beautiful animal is being mercilessly hunted for its beautiful fur and is now on the verge of extinction as a species. The leopard's head seems small and quite elegant. It is decorated with small, entirely black spots. The spots on the body (up to the hips and tail) are different; they are black-gray or black ring-shaped (in this case, the main gray-yellow color dominates in the middle). The underside of the body, as well as the inside of the legs, is colored white. On the edge white fur the spots are completely black: they are the same on the outside of the legs (there are, of course, more of them). The pupil is round; vision is sharp, well developed, and other senses serve the leopard well. When this “kitty” is feeling good, she, like your pets, purrs. He can also growl, like representatives of the famous, royal felines, only the owner of the snow growls quietly.

Ibris is found in the mountains of Central Asia: from the Pamirs, Tien Shan, Altai to the Indian states of Kashmir and Sikkim and Southeast Tibet, it usually spends time at an altitude of 2000-3000 meters. IN warm weather even climbs under the “roof of the world” - 6000 meters, which is only two thousand meters lower than. It lives in dense thickets of bushes (rhododendron) and on mountain plains, where there is almost no vegetation. It chooses rock crevices and caves as a home, where it breeds offspring. Here, among mountain ice and snow, its fur perfectly camouflages it from both enemies and victims.

Although the snow leopard prefers to hunt at dusk, it does not waste time during the day; during these hours it likes to visit the solarium, that is, lie down and bask in the sun. The leopard is very attached to its “home”, although when hunting it wanders very far from it. He feeds on all the mammals living in his domain - from mice to mountain goats and sheep; sometimes he even deals with yaks. In summer, the leopard goes high into the mountains in search of marmots and other small mammals. At this time, you can also feast on wild sheep lambs. This is an easy prey for a leopard. Severe cold and deep snow drive it down into the valleys, where the leopard attacks domestic animals.

The range of the snow leopard in Asia. (Information from the book: O. Loginov, I. Loginova “SNOW LEOPARD. Symbol Heavenly Mountains” - Ust-Kamenogorsk, 2009 - 168 pages)

They don’t attack a person, but if they do, they boldly fight them off. However, this doesn't help much. In pursuit of valuable fur, people can exterminate this beautiful beast, although in India Central Asia it has long been protected by law. But what are the laws in the Pamirs now?

Pregnancy lasts 90 days. Two to four blind cubs are born, resembling puma babies. In the mountains, their mother hides them in the depths of caves, where neither enemies nor bad weather will harm them. During the first five months, kittens are fed their mother's milk. Sexual maturity is reached in the third year of life (females, apparently, in the second year).

Leopards love to play and love to wallow in the snow. Exhausted, they often slide down a steep slide on their backs, and at the bottom they quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws (like children)!!! After playing or hunting, they make themselves comfortable and bask in the sun.

The snow leopard has another common name - snow leopard. It took root a long time ago. Back in the 17th century, Russian merchants and fur traders adopted this name from local Asian hunters, many of whom spoke the Turkic dialect. They pronounced this word as “irbiz”, which meant “snow cat”.

Word "irbis" Russian merchant furriers adopted it from Turkic hunters back in the 17th century. In Tuva this beast was called Irbish, in Semirechye it was called ilbers, east of Almaty in the areas bordering China - irviz. In Turkic language - irbiz. This word took root in the Russian language, only over time last letter changed from "z" to "s"

In the 18th century, but obviously earlier, in Siberia, and then in Semirechye and Central Asia, the word “leopard”, which was used to call a leopard, in popular use began to be attached to the snow leopard ( Uncia uncia). Due to the similarities between both species, it was only natural. However, “irbiz” were also mentioned in the fur trade in the 17th century. In the 19th - early 20th centuries in Russian-language zoological literature Uncia uncia the name “snow leopard” (identical in meaning to the English, German and French names) and snow leopard (from Turkic and Mongolian) were strengthened. The term “leopard” itself remained with the leopard ( Panthera pardus)

The first mention and image of a snow leopard called "Once" was given by Georges Buffon in 1761, who indicated that he lived in Persia and was trained for hunting

The first scientific description of the snow leopard was made under the name Felis uncia German physician and naturalist Johann Schreber in 1775. Later, in 1830, the species was described by Christian Ehrenberg under the name Felis irbis. In 1855 Thomas Horsfield describes it as Felis uncioides

A certain amount of scientific information on the biology and distribution of the snow leopard has been accumulated over a period of approximately two centuries. Many famous researchers participated in the study of the snow leopard, including Peter Simon Pallas and Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. At the beginning of the 20th century, information about the species was supplemented by A. Ya. Tugarinov, S. I. Ognev and others. Later, the reports of V. G. Heptner and A. A. Sludsky in 1972 became an important stage in updating information regarding the snow leopard. Later, some information about the biology of the species was given in the works of L. V. Sopin, M. N. Smirnov, A. K. Fedosenko, V. N. Nikiforov, D. G. Medvedev, G. G. Sobansky, V. A. Shilov , B.V. Shcherbakova, N.P. Malkova, N.S. Sochina and many others.

And snowy because the animal lives in the mountains at an altitude of up to 4.5 thousand meters above sea level, where there are snowfields, ice tongues and mountain peaks covered with eternal white caps, where it can be very cold and strong icy winds blow. The snow leopard is well adapted to these conditions: it is dressed in a warm fur coat, the muscles of its paws are very strong - with ease, in one fell swoop, the leopard jumps over gorge up to 10 meters wide. With one jump he can deftly overcome a height of 2.5 - 3 meters, as if flying from one ledge to another. He walks without fear along the rocky cornices over the abyss, maybe with high altitude jump and attack your prey with sniper precision. The favorite habitats of the snow leopard are rocky areas of the Mountains, piles of stones, screes, where there is usually little snow - it is blown away by the winds, it is easier to hide from bad weather, find a place for an ambush, and hide from enemies. Here the animal also makes a lair, choosing a suitable cave, crevice or stone canopy. He spends daylight hours in these shelters, and at dusk he goes out hunting. He walks boldly, he has no enemies among the animals, only in winter time There may be serious clashes with hungry wolves, but the snow leopard can fend for itself.

How do snow leopards manage to survive in such extreme conditions? For this purpose, nature has endowed them with many unique features. Small sizes a head with small rounded ears, wide nostrils that warm the cold rarefied air, long, very thick and dense hair - all this helps to retain heat where the line of eternal snow begins.

Huge paws with soft pads surrounded by thick, warm fur are perfectly adapted to both climbing slippery mountain slopes and walking through deep, loose snow, while short muscular front legs and a developed chest help maintain balance and easily climb even steep slopes. rocks

The magnificent thick tail, the length of which sometimes exceeds the length of the entire body, performs several useful functions at once - it helps balance during jumps, serves as a blanket for its owner at night, and also stores fat reserves.

The harsh, rocky terrain that snow leopards call home forces them to be excellent jumpers. When hunting prey, these predators are able to make jumps up to 14 meters long! Smoky gray coat with black markings is an excellent camouflage for experienced hunters, which are deservedly called “ghost cats.”

Snow leopards are real predators, ready to eat any meat that comes their way. They are not at all embarrassed by the large size of the prey, often three times larger than their own.

The main food of snow leopards is Siberian mountain goats and argali, marking goats, deer, and wild boars. Smaller prey includes marmots, hares, pikas, different kinds birds.

The love of snow leopards for marmots has become one of the reasons for their conflict with humans - in winter, rodents hibernate, and snow leopards are often forced to attack livestock. Snow leopards hunt large prey once every 10-15 days.

Unlike other big cats, snow leopards cannot roar. Their vocal repertoire consists mainly of purring, hissing, meowing, howling and snorting sounds.

To somehow indicate their presence to other individuals, snow leopards leave claw marks on large stones or tree trunks, rub their cheeks against them, or mark their territory with urine. All these signs remain for weeks, urging unexpected guests to refrain from encroaching on their territory.

Lifespan:

In nature, no more than 20 years, in captivity up to 28 years.

Habitat:

Animals live alone. The home ranges of males may partially overlap with the areas of 1-3 females.

Threats to the species:

• Poaching
• Conflict with pastoralist interests
• Depletion of food supply
• Habitat destruction
• Low reproduction rate

Interesting Facts:

Snow leopards are very playful and love to wallow in the snow. They often slide down a steep hill on their back, and at the bottom quickly turn over and fall into a snowdrift on all four paws. After games or hunting, they settle down to bask in the sun.

When in a good mood, the snow leopard purrs just like a domestic cat.

Latin name: Uncia uncia, Panthera uncia

English name: snow leopard

Order: carnivores

Family: felines

Genus: Uncia (snow leopards), has 1 species

The snow leopard is a member of the cat family that lives in the harsh climate of the mountains of Central Asia. Among all the big cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent resident of the highlands. The predator belongs to a genus that occupies an intermediate position between the group of small cats and large cats of the genus Panthera (tigers, jaguars, lions).

Appearance and anatomical features of the snow leopard's body structure

In appearance, the snow leopard resembles a leopard. Indeed, the predators are similar in posture and overall dimensions. Length flexible body The snow leopard reaches 1 meter, and these cats weigh 25-40 kilograms. Male predators are slightly larger than females. Characteristic distinguishing feature snow leopard - a very long thick tail (length about 100 centimeters), as well as rather short limbs with wide paws (the length of the hind feet reaches 22-25 centimeters). The paw prints are large and round, with no discernible claw marks. Snow leopards' vision, hearing and sense of smell are well developed.

Interesting fact

Wide, fluffy paws with flat, large pads act as natural snowshoes and help large cats distribute their weight evenly so as not to fall through when walking on loose snow.

The coat color of snow leopards is light gray, with rare dark ring-shaped spots clearly visible. There are also small solid spots distributed throughout the body. Fur on the belly white. The top end of the tail is black. In young individuals, the color of the spots is more intense than in adult leopards. Geographical variability of fur color is not expressed. In general, the fur of snow leopards is very warm, thick and long (on the back the length reaches 5.5 centimeters). Soft fur grows even between the toes; it reliably protects large paws from the cold. All these signs indicate that snow leopards live in cold climates with harsh winters and are excellent jumpers.

In animals, on a relatively small, rounded head, large eyes of a yellowish-green hue with a round pupil are located quite high. Leopards' ears are short and rounded, and in winter they are almost invisible among the fur.

Like most other representatives of the cat family, adult snow leopards have 30 strong and sharp teeth in their mouths. The whiskers of leopards are white and black, up to 10.5 centimeters long. A movable long tongue allows spotted cats to easily separate meat from the skeleton of the victim. The skull of these predators is relatively powerful and massive, distinguished by highly developed zygomatic arches.

Distribution area of ​​the snow leopard

When hunting, snow leopards can jump up to 10 meters in length.

Reproduction snow leopard

The period of active breeding of snow leopards occurs in the last month of winter and the beginning of spring. In hard-to-reach places, females specially create a comfortable, warm shelter for the birth of offspring. Pregnancy lasts approximately 90-110 days. A female snow leopard gives birth only once every two years. Depending on the geographical area habitat, kittens are born in April-May or May-June.

Interesting fact

Snow leopards mate in Tibet and the Himalayas all year round. The mating song of the snow leopard resembles a rough, but at the same time gentle meow.

In one litter, 2-3 small snow leopards are born (less often 3-4). Babies are born blind and regain their sight in 5-8 days. Newborn snow leopards weigh approximately 500 grams, their body length is no more than 30 centimeters. The body of the cubs is covered with brown fur with pronounced dark spots. By appearance and size, newborns resemble domestic cats.

For the first 1.5-2 months, the brood feeds only on mother's milk. Then the female begins to feed the kittens meat food. At 3 months old, young snow leopards first try to follow their mother on a walk, and at five to six months of age they are already hunting with her. The whole family lies in wait for the prey, but the female always makes the decisive jump. The cubs accompany their mother until they are almost 1 year old, learning from her the difficult art of hunting in the highlands.

Young animals reach sexual maturity at the age of 3-4 years. The male meets the female only for the mating period and does not take part in raising the offspring. In conditions wildlife Snow leopards live 12-15 years, in zoos - up to 20 years.

Population status and conservation of snow leopards

The snow leopard is an endangered rare species and is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to World Wildlife Fund data for 2003, the total number of snow leopards within their distribution range does not exceed 7,500 individuals. However, due to the secretive lifestyle of these spotted predators and the inaccessibility of habitats, the population size estimate is approximate and based on expert opinions of zoologists.

The independent wildlife trade monitoring program TRAFFIC monitors the number of snow leopards in the wild. According to a 2015 report, there are only about 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild. Poachers kill spotted cats because they attack livestock. The report also notes that only 20% of snow leopards are destroyed for their beautiful warm fur, for the sale of skins, bones, claws and teeth. Illegal trade is growing every year. More than 90% of poaching cases occur in 5 countries - Mongolia, China, India, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Interesting fact

Along with poaching, defensive behavior negatively affects population status snow leopards. Predators use protective coat coloring and, in case of danger, often hide, which often leads to their death, since in conditions open area people kill animals from firearms. In addition, with an insufficient food supply, spotted cats can feed on the victims of other predators and die by eating poisoned baits, which poachers illegally use to fight wolves.

Snow leopard and man

In the wild, snow leopards have no enemies among animals. The population size of these predators is affected by a reduction in the food supply. The number of snow leopards is decreasing due to harsh living conditions in the highlands.

The only enemy of the snow leopard is man. Even though snow leopards are quite rare animals, they have always been a desirable trophy for hunters. Animal fur is highly valued. On the black market, the skin of one snow leopard costs tens of thousands of dollars.

Nowadays, hunting snow leopards is prohibited in many countries. However, poaching continues to threaten these big cats.

Interesting fact

Since the number of snow leopards in nature is small, and they live in sparsely populated regions, the harm of predators to livestock and hunting is quite insignificant.

All over the world, menageries contain several thousand representatives of the species Uncia uncia. Today, the captive population of snow leopards numbers about 2,000 individuals, most of them in China. Of this number, only 15% of snow leopards were caught in the wild, the rest were born in zoos and reproduction centers rare species animals. Snow leopards reproduce successfully in captivity. In such conditions, animals do not show aggression, but still remain wild cats and are not tamed.