The snow leopard (Irbis) is a proud inhabitant of the mountains, a large predator, an amazing and graceful representative of the cat family. In ancient times, due to the similarity of color with panthers, it had a different name - snow leopard and was mistakenly attributed to their genus. Animals belong to different genera and are not close relatives. The leopard is inferior to the snow leopard in dexterity, jumping ability, and strength, although it is superior in size.
The living space of these animals covers the high mountains of Tibet, the Altai ranges, and the mountainous regions of the Pamirs, Himalayas, and Tien Shan. The snow leopard climbs to heights of up to three thousand meters, and in search of prey easily reaches the six thousand mark. The population size can be estimated approximately. According to scientists, it ranges from 3.5 to 7.5 thousand individuals. The largest population lives in China - 2 - 5 thousand individuals, the smallest in Uzbekistan - up to 50 individuals.
Due to intense human activity and illegal fishing, the number of the species is continuously declining. The animal’s beautiful and thick fur makes it a desirable prey for poachers, and the skin, despite the ban on sale, has a high price and is in great demand on world markets. In states where the predator's habitat is located, the snow leopard is protected by law and it is prohibited to kill it. International organizations measures are being taken to preserve the population. The predator is listed in the Red Book as being on the verge of complete extinction.
Appearance
The external similarity between the snow leopard and the panther is limited to their spotted color and large body size.
- The wild snow leopard is much fluffier than its counterparts and has long, especially on the belly, extremely thick fur. Coat length 5 – 12 cm.
- Males are larger than females, weighing from 45 to 55 kg. The weight of females starts from 22 kg and rarely exceeds 40 kg.
- The animal has an elongated body, a squat figure and a long tail.
- The height of an adult animal at the withers is 60 cm, the length of the body including the head is from 103 to 130 cm.
- The paws are wide, short, with retractable claws.
- The head has a rounded shape, small in relation to the body.
- The small ears are rounded at the ends, covered with fluffy fur, without tassels.
- The tail of the snow leopard deserves special attention - it is quite long (90 - 105 cm), with a thick edge, and therefore seems thicker than the front paws. Serves as a kind of steering wheel and balancer while running and jumping.
- The camouflage color makes the animal invisible against the background of stones, rock surfaces, ice and snow. The main tone of the skin is grayish, with a smoky tint, almost white on the sides, belly and paws (their inner surface). Clouded leopards that live in the eastern and southern territories of Asia have a similar shade. Faded coat pattern consists of dark spots different shapes, with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. The smallest marks are on the head, larger ones decorate the neck and paws, ring-shaped shadows are scattered on the sides and on the back. In some places the rings merge into short longitudinal lines. The tail has large dark spots and a black tip.
In the photo, young predators have more pronounced coloring than adults. At the same time, the male snow leopard is no different from the female in terms of the intensity of the color of its skin. The species of snow leopards living in different territories do not differ in color either.
Habitat
The usual habitat is bare stone blocks, rhododendron bushes, alpine pastures, deep rocky gorges. The snow leopard is often found in areas with low snow cover. Selects open plateaus, slopes with great steepness and deep gorges. Sometimes it descends into the forests, but spends most of its life above the forest line.
In the area of the Turkestan ridge it is not found below 2.6 thousand meters. In the Himalayas it climbs to heights of up to 6 thousand meters. In a number of places all year round lives at altitudes not exceeding 1 thousand meters above sea level (spurs of the Dzhungar Alatau, Matae).
Seasonal migrations of the animal are associated with the migration of its main prey - ungulates. In winter, high snow forces predators to descend from the highlands and move to the middle mountain zone. In summer, the snow leopard returns to its usual alpine zone.
Features of behavior
The snow leopard animal, as a rule, chooses loneliness. Some individuals live in pairs - a female and a male. Personal territory is marked in various ways, but this is more of a habit than a necessity. The snow leopard is not particularly zealous in protecting it; it reacts calmly to the appearance of females or other males. The size of hunting grounds for individual individuals varies significantly, depending on the region of residence and the amount of prey (the less suitable food, the larger the land). An individual plot can cover an area from 12 km 2 to 160 km 2.
The snow leopard goes hunting at dusk - early in the morning or before sunset. In search of food, the snow leopard sets off along the same route. Looks into camps and pastures of wild ungulates, hunting smaller game along the way. Often such a journey takes several days and the animal has to travel tens of kilometers before returning to its den. The reference point for movement is a stream, river or mountain range.
Deep snow restrains the animal's agility and interferes with hunting. To make his way easier, he has to trample paths in the snow. The routes rarely change; the snow leopard uses the same paths more than once. Such predictability attracts poachers - an unsuspecting predator becomes easy prey for them.
The snow leopard establishes a shelter in rocky heaps, caves, and rock crevices. It settles in a den for several years and selects suitable shelters for a rookery far from home.
Nutrition
The snow leopard is a universal hunter. It poses the same danger to yaks, rams, roe deer, as well as to mice, gophers and small birds. The predator's diet consists of fresh meat, preference is given to ungulates, but if hares, pheasants and small rodents come across on the way, it does not refuse them either. The lack of vitamins is compensated in the summer by supplementing the main diet with grass and plant shoots. The daily amount of meat for an adult predator is 2 – 3 kg.
The snow leopard stalks its prey from ambush, hiding near watering holes, trails, or quietly sneaking up on the victim. It attacks several tens of meters from the victim, jumps out sharply and overtakes the hesitant animal with jumps. In case of a miss, he runs 300 meters after the game or, having accepted defeat, goes in search of a new target.
The snow leopard jumps on the back of large animals, grabs them by the throat, strangles them or breaks their neck. The trophy is dragged into a shelter and only there begins the meal, tearing meat from the victim’s skeleton with sharp teeth. Leaves the leftovers from lunch for everyone, eating only fresh food. In its habitat it is out of competition and has no obvious enemies.
Reproduction and care of offspring
A young snow leopard reaches sexual maturity at 3–4 years of age. The period of mating games, deep meowing and courtship occurs in the last month of winter, and often covers the first months of spring.
A snow leopard cat prepares thoroughly for childbirth: it chooses a secluded place for shelter (a cave, a cozy crevice, sometimes a vulture’s nest), selflessly insulates it with its own fur, tearing it out of its belly. After 3 - 3.5 months (in April - May), the female gives birth to offspring - from 3 to 5 kittens. The whole burden of motherhood falls on the mother. The father participates in raising children only in rare cases.
A newborn snow leopard cub is no more than 30 cm long, weighs about 500 grams, does not see anything, and if anything happens to its mother during this period, it simply dies. Babies' eyes open at 6–8 days; at 10 days, grown-up cubs begin to crawl. The female feeds the cubs with milk only for the first six weeks. Despite this, they manage to get everything necessary for a growing organism. nutrients, grow up and get stronger. The fatty milk of leopards is five times more nutritious than that of a domestic cow - an irreplaceable source of energy in cold climates.
Two-month-old kittens get out of the den, play, bask in the sun and meet their mother with prey at the entrance to the shelter. Often such meetings end in quarrels - the kids are indignant, fight, tearing out pieces of meat from each other.
The restless family follows in the footsteps of their mother already at three months, and at five months they keep her company on the hunt. The female teaches the cubs to watch the prey, to sneak up, and she herself makes the decisive throw. Gradually, the hunt turns into a real safari with larger victims. The young generation begins independent life at two years old.
Relationship with a person
In relation to people, the snow leopard is less aggressive than the tiger and leopard. He doesn’t touch people, and if he does meet them, he doesn’t attack first. Only two cases of an animal attacking a person are reliably known.
In a hungry year, when the lack of food becomes noticeable, the predator easily switches to livestock - cows, goats, sheep, horses. The irreparable damage that herders suffer may result in the killing of the snow leopard.
Life in captivity
The snow leopard at the zoo is kept in a spacious, light enclosure more than 5 meters high. The living conditions are as close as possible to the natural environment. The territory is equipped with stumps of different heights, snags, and artificially created stone piles. Snow leopards cannot tolerate hot weather, in the summer they hide in a den or under the canopy of trees.
The animal leads a full-fledged lifestyle: plays, runs, jumps, climbs rocky ledges, and bears offspring. The female sets up a rookery in the inner compartment of the enclosure. There she feeds newborn kittens with milk, licks them, nurses them and jealously guards them.
Primiparous females are very restless, sometimes they abandon their cubs and stop feeding. For foundlings, an ordinary cat becomes the nurse - the composition of its milk is practically no different from the composition of leopard milk. If a suitable cat cannot be found, the kittens are fed by zoo staff with an artificial milk substitute from a pacifier.
Adult predators receive food once a day. The diet consists of beef and live food (rabbits, chickens, laboratory rats, mice). Mixtures of minerals and vitamins and fresh herbs must be added to food. A healthy pet eats the entire portion offered during feeding.
To prevent animals from overeating, they have a fasting day once a week. Animals are deprived of food for a day. This practice does not apply to lactating females (until the end of the lactation period) and kittens under six months of age.
Lifespan of individuals natural conditions no more than 13 years old. This is very short compared to how long snow leopards live in captivity - the average life expectancy is 21 years.
- The snow leopard easily copes with game that is three times its weight.
- The animal makes jumps up to 15 meters long.
- The snow leopard cannot growl like other big cats. But he purrs like a domestic cat and meows deeply.
- The snow leopard (stylized version) is depicted on the coats of arms of Tatarstan, Khakassia, and adorns the coat of arms of Almaty and Samarkand.
Niramin - Sep 2nd, 2015
The snow leopard, or, as hunters have long called it, the snow leopard, is an animal from the cat family. It is similar in appearance to a leopard, but slightly smaller in size. Because of their valuable fur, people hunted them en masse, after which they were listed in the Red Book of the World. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to see a snow leopard, then you are very lucky. Since each time the likelihood of meeting him has sharply decreased.
Appearance of the snow leopard
The length of the snow leopard's body including its tail is about two meters. Its weight is about 45-55 kg. Males are usually much larger than females. Externally, the shape of the head and its physique resembles a domestic cat. The predator's wide paws are strong and equipped with curved and sharp claws. Thanks to its paws, the snow leopard easily walks through the snow without falling into it. Due to the beautiful gray-white coat color with black spots on the fur, it allows the predator to camouflage well among the rocks in winter. Among the representatives of the cat family, this is the only animal that can jump from a height of 15 meters downwards with pinpoint accuracy.
Where does the snow leopard live?
Leopards are very secretive animals. They live alone in hard-to-reach places, in rocky cliffs high in the mountains, up to about 5 thousand at sea level, among the mountains of the Middle and Central Asia. If in summer he lives high in the mountains, then in winter he descends into the valleys.
What do snow leopards eat and who do they hunt?
The snow leopard chooses twilight as its main time for hunting. During the day, they bask in the sun or rest in the den. They always hunt alone, chasing their prey for a long time. Having killed their prey, they bring it into their home and only then begin to eat food. They can eat up to 3 kg of meat at a time.
Predators feed on artiodactyl animals, such as rams, goats, sheep, but they also love hare and even mouse. If they are really hungry, they can go down to the valley and attack livestock.
How do snow leopards reproduce?
The mating season or breeding season for leopards occurs at the beginning of spring: March - April. The female's pregnancy lasts up to 100 days, so she gives birth only once every two years. Usually up to 3 cubs are born. At two months, they already begin to follow their mother everywhere, since the father does not take part in raising them. They feed exclusively on mother's milk for up to 4 months. Predators reach final puberty by the age of three.
See a selection of snow leopard photos:
Irbis in a high jump. 
Mother and cub 
Photo: Angry Irbis 
Video: Irbis - the legend of the snow-capped mountains (Film by Ivan Usanov).
Video: Snow leopard attacks bull yak
Video: Afghanistan: Snow Leopard: WILD HD
Snow leopards, or snow leopards as they are also called, live high in the mountains. To get food for themselves, they often have to overcome great difficulties. Snow leopards, like all cats, are predators and their diet consists mainly of ungulates.
What do snow leopards (irbis) eat?
Snow leopards prefer to hunt prey that is larger than themselves or that matches their own size. A snow leopard can handle prey three times its own weight.
The main food of the snow leopard is: Siberian mountain goats, deer, deer, marking goats, blue sheep, roe deer, musk deer, argali, serow, gorals, Himalayan tars, takins, wild boars. In times of famine, leopards also hunt smaller prey, such as ground squirrels, hares, pikas, birds (pheasants, chukars, mountain turkeys).
When the number of ungulates in the territory where snow leopards live is significantly reduced, the animals move to regions where they can get their own food. Sometimes snow leopards attack livestock (goats, sheep and horses).
There was also a case recorded when two young snow leopards attacked a two-year-old bear cub. The outcome of this hunt was successful.
In summer, leopards eat plants in addition to their meat diet.
At one time, a snow leopard can eat no more than 2-3 kg of meat.
Snow bar on the hunt
How do snow leopards (irbis) hunt?
As a rule, a snow leopard quietly sneaks up on its prey and instantly jumps on it, overtaking it with a jump of 6-7 meters. Often when hunting, he climbs onto high rocks in order to throw his prey to the ground with an unexpected jump from above. If the animal misses when jumping, then it pursues the prey at a distance of no more than 300 meters or even leaves it alone.
Having overtaken a large victim, the snow leopard tries to grab it by the throat, and then strangle it or break its neck. The snow leopard carries the killed animal to its den or to another shelter, where it then eats it. He leaves the remains of food or remains near them and protects them from scavengers. It is not uncommon to see several snow leopards hunting together in late summer, autumn and winter. Such hunts are organized by the female together with her cubs, whom she teaches all the intricacies of the life of a snow leopard.
The leopard catches birds mainly near its den during the night.
The main prey of the snow leopard from ungulates are females and young animals, as well as old and sick individuals.
In its habitat, the leopard is the main predator and has virtually no competition.
Irbis, snow leopard ( Uncia uncia), a predatory mammal of the cat family. Body length is about 130 cm, tail - about 90 cm, weighs from 26 to 40 kg. The fur is smoky-gray, almost white, with ring-shaped dark spots, and is especially lush in winter. The snow leopard is distinguished by a thin, long, flexible body, relatively short legs, a small head and a very long tail. Reaching a length of 200-230 cm together with the tail, it weighs up to 55 kg.
Irbis (snow leopard)
It lives in the high-mountain belt of the ridges of Central Asia (at altitudes from 3000 to 5000 m). In winter it descends into the belt of coniferous forests. It feeds mainly on mountain goats. It causes almost no damage to livestock.
Russian fur merchants adopted the word “irbis” from hunters in Asia back in the 17th century. In Tuva this animal was called irbish, in Semirechye it was called ilbers, to the east of Alma-Ata in the areas bordering China - irviz. In Turkic language - irbiz. This word took root in the Russian language, only over time the last letter changed from “z” to “s”.
Initially, snow leopard fossils dating to the late Pleistocene were found only in the Altai and on the western border of Mongolia. However, more recent finds in northern Pakistan indicate that the snow leopard was common in the area probably between 1.2 and 1.4 million years ago, indicating more ancient origin kind.
The snow leopard belongs to the genus Uncia, which, in terms of a set of morphological and behavioral characteristics, occupies an intermediate position between big cats (genus Panthera) and the group of small cats. The snow leopard is the only representative of this genus.
Relatively large cat. By general appearance resembles a leopard, but is smaller, more stocky, with a long tail and is distinguished by very long hair with an unclear pattern in the form of large dark spots and rosettes. The body is very elongated and squat, slightly raised in the sacrum area. The length of the body with the head is 103-130 cm, the length of the tail itself is 90-105 cm. Height at the shoulders is about 60 cm. Males are slightly larger than females. The body weight of males reaches 45-55 kg, females - 22-40 kg. The length of the hind foot is 22-26 cm.
Snow leopard near a pond
The coat is tall, very thick and soft, its length on the back reaches 55 mm - it provides protection from cold, harsh environmental conditions. The snow leopard differs from all others in the thickness of its fur. big cats and more similar to small ones.
The general background color of the fur is brownish-gray without any admixtures of yellow and red (a yellowish tint of fur was noted in some individuals that died in captivity and may be an artifact).
The main color of the coat on the back and upper parts of the sides is light gray or grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating. The sides below, the belly and the inner parts of the limbs are lighter than the back. Scattered across the general light gray background are rare large ring-shaped spots in the shape of rosettes, inside of which there may be an even smaller spot, as well as small solid spots of black or dark gray. The spotted pattern is relatively pale, formed by vague spots, the diameter of the largest of which reaches from 5 cm to 7-8 cm. Solid spots of various sizes are located on the head (the smallest of them), neck and legs (larger ones, turning towards the bottom into small ), where there are no ring spots. In the back of the back, the spots sometimes merge with each other, forming short longitudinal stripes. Between the annular spots there are a few small solid ones. Large solid spots on the terminal half of the tail often cover the tail in the transverse direction with an incomplete ring. The very end of the tail is usually black on top. The dark spots are black in color but appear dark grey.
Snow leopard at the zoo
The general color of the main background of winter fur is very light, grayish, almost white, with a smoky coating, more noticeable along the back and along the top of the sides, while a slight light yellowish tint may be developed. This coloring perfectly camouflages the animal in its natural habitat - among dark rocks, stones, white snow and ice.
The general background of summer fur is characterized by a lighter, almost white color and sharp outlines of dark spots. The smoky coating of fur is less pronounced in summer than in winter. There is information that requires further confirmation that with age, the spotted pattern on the skin fades, becoming even more vague and unclear. In young individuals, the spotted pattern is more pronounced, and the color of the spots is more intense than in adult individuals.
There is no sexual dimorphism in coloration. Geographical variation in color in the snow leopard is not expressed or, if it exists, it is very insignificant. The lack of clearly defined geographic variability is determined by the relatively small range of the species. The snow leopard is an extremely stenotypic species and adheres to identical conditions and habitats throughout its entire range.
The head, relative to the size of the body, is small and round in shape. The ears are short, bluntly rounded, without tufts at the ends, and are almost hidden in the fur in winter. The mane and sideburns are not developed. Vibrissae are white and black, up to 10.5 cm long. The eyes are large, with a round pupil.
Sight
The tail is very long, exceeding three-quarters of the body length, covered long hair and therefore it seems very thick (visually its thickness is almost equal to the thickness of the snow leopard’s forearm). Serves as a balancer when jumping. The limbs are relatively short. The snow leopard's paws are wide and massive. The claws on the paws are retractable. The marks are large, round, without claw marks.
The snow leopard, unlike other big cats, cannot roar, despite the incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was thought to allow big cats to roar. New research suggests that the ability to growl in felids is determined by different morphological features of the larynx that are absent in the snow leopard. Despite the structure of the hyoid apparatus like that of big cats (Panthera), there is no calling “roar or growl”. "Purring" occurs both during inhalation and exhalation - as in small cats (Felis). The methods of tearing apart prey are similar to those of big cats, and the position when eating is similar to that of small cats.
Grin
The snow leopard is an exclusively Asian species. The snow leopard's range in central and southern Asia covers approximately 1,230,000 km² of mountainous regions and extends through the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The geographical distribution extends from the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and the Syr Darya through the Pamir, Tien Shan, Karakoram, Kashmir, Kunlun, and Himalaya mountains, to southern Siberia, where the range covers the Altai, Sayan, Tannu-Ola mountains and the mountains west of Lake Baikal. In Mongolia, it was discovered in both the Gobi Altai and the Khangai Mountains. In Tibet it is found as far as Altun Shan in the north.
On the territory of Russia there is a small part of the snow leopard's range, which is approximately 2-3% of the modern world range and represents its northwestern and northern outskirts. The total area of probable snow leopard habitats in Russia is at least 60,000 km². It is found in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in Khakassia, in Tyva and in the Tunkinsky and Kitoisky loaches. However, there is a gradual decrease and fragmentation of the snow leopard's range in Russia.
In the territory of the former USSR, the snow leopard's habitat occupied the Pamir-Gissar system and the Tien Shan - the entire Pamir, the Dariaz ridge, including the southwestern spurs, the Peter the Great, Trans-Alay, Gissar ridges, including the Baysuntau Mountains, the Zeravshan ridge to the Penjikent region. The southern border runs in southern Tajikistan in an arc from Pyanj to the north and covers the Kulyab, Dashti-Jum, Muminabad and Kzyl-Mazar regions, where the animal is found regularly. Further, the border runs to the northwest, skirting Dushanbe from the north. Further, the border runs along the southern slope of the Gissar ridge to the west, and then to the southwest.
To the north and northeast, the snow leopard is found along all the ridges of the Tien Shan system, to the south including the Kurama and Fergana ridges that border the Fergana Valley, in the west - to the western spurs of the Chatkal, Pskem, Ugam and Talas ridges. In Altai, the snow leopard is widespread in the extreme south, where its range covers, as well as partially or entirely, the main ridges of the southern, part of the central, eastern and northeastern Altai and associated massifs.
Snow leopard against the backdrop of mountains
The snow leopard is a characteristic representative of the fauna of the high rocky mountains of Central and Central Asia. Among large cats, the snow leopard is the only permanent inhabitant of the highlands. It predominantly inhabits alpine meadows, treeless cliffs, rocky areas, rocky outcrops, steep gorges and is often found in the snowy zone. But, at the same time, in a number of areas the snow leopard lives at much lower altitudes, populating the zone of tree and shrub vegetation.
Inhabiting the upper belts of high mountains, the snow leopard prefers areas of small open plateaus, gentle slopes and narrow valleys covered with alpine vegetation, which alternate with rocky gorges, heaps of rocks and screes. The ridges where snow leopards usually live are usually characterized by very steep slopes, deep gorges and rock outcrops. Snow leopards can also be found on more leveled areas, where bushes and rocky screes provide them with shelter for resting. Snow leopards mainly stay above the forest line, but can also be found in forests (more often in winter).
gait
The habitat covers biotopes located in the belt between 1500-4000 meters above sea level. Sometimes it is found at the border of eternal snow, and in the Pamirs in the upper reaches of Alichur its traces were found several times even in winter at an altitude of 4500-5000 meters above sea level. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard has been recorded at an altitude of 5400–6000 meters above sea level and below 2000–2500 meters above sea level. In summer, it most often stays at an altitude of 4000-4500 meters above sea level.
On the slopes of the Turkestan Range in summer, snow leopards were observed exclusively from approximately 2600 meters above sea level and higher. Here the snow leopard stays in rocky places. In Talas Alatau, it lives in the belt between 1200 - 1800 and 3500 meters above sea level. In the Dzhungar Alatau it is found at an altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level.
On the Kungei Alatau ridge in summer, snow leopards are rarely found in the belt spruce forest(2100-2600 meters above sea level) and especially often in the Alpine (altitudes up to 3300 m above sea level). In the Trans-Ili Alatau and Central Tien Shan, in summer the snow leopard rises to heights of up to 4000 meters or more, and in winter sometimes descends to heights of 1200 m above sea level. u. m. However, the snow leopard is not a high-mountain animal everywhere - in a number of places it lives year-round in the area of low mountains and in the mountain steppe at altitudes of 600-1500 meters above sea level, staying, as in the highlands, near rocky gorges, cliffs and rock outcrops, in places where goats and argali live. At altitudes of 600-1000 meters above sea level, the snow leopard is common all year round in the spurs of the Dzungarian Alatau, Altynemel, Chulak and Matai.
In summer, following its main prey, the snow leopard rises to the subalpine and alpine zones. In winter, when high snow cover sets in, the snow leopard descends from the highlands to the middle mountain zone - often in the area of \u200b\u200bconiferous forest. Seasonal migrations are characterized by a fairly regular nature and are caused by seasonal migrations of ungulates - the main prey of the snow leopard.
Snow leopard on the hunt
Mostly active at dusk, but sometimes during the day. Hunts in most cases before sunset and in the morning at dawn. In the south of its range, for example, in the Himalayas, the snow leopard goes out hunting only before sunset. During the day, snow leopards mostly rest, sleep, and lie on the rocks. It makes its lair in caves and rock crevices, among rocky heaps, often under an overhanging slab and in other similar places where it hides during the day. Often the snow leopard occupies the same den for several years in a row. In the Kyrgyz Alatau, there are known cases when snow leopards used large nests of black vultures located on low-growing juniper trees for daytime roosting.
Adult snow leopards are territorial and solitary animals, although females raise kittens for quite a long period of time. Each snow leopard lives within the boundaries of a strictly defined individual territory. However, it does not aggressively defend its territory from other members of its species. The habitat of an adult male can be overlapped by individual habitats of one to three females. Snow leopards mark their personal territories in various ways.
Snow leopard defending itself
Individual territories can vary significantly in size. In Nepal, where there is a lot of prey, such an area can be relatively small - with an area of 12 km² to 39 km², and 5-10 animals can live on an area of 100 km². The low prey area, covering an area of 1000 km², is home to only up to 5 individuals.
The snow leopard regularly makes the rounds of its hunting area, visiting winter pastures and camps of wild ungulates. At the same time, he moves, adhering to the same routes. When going around pastures or descending from the upper belt of mountains to lower areas, the snow leopard always follows a path that usually follows a ridge or along a river or stream. The length of such a detour is usually long, so the snow leopard reappears in one place or another once every few days.
The animal is poorly adapted to movement on deep, loose snow cover. In areas where there is loose snow, snow leopards mainly trample permanent paths along which they move for a long time.
A predator that usually hunts large prey, corresponding to its size or larger. The snow leopard is able to cope with prey three times its mass. The main prey of the snow leopard almost everywhere and all year round is ungulates.
Snow leopard on the hunt
IN wildlife Snow leopards mainly feed on ungulates: blue sheep, Siberian mountain goats, marking goats, argali, takins, takins, serows, gorals, musk deer, deer, wild boars. In addition, from time to time they feed on small animals atypical for their diet, such as pikas and birds (chukars, pheasants).
In the Pamirs, it mainly feeds on Siberian mountain goats, and less often on argali. In the Himalayas, the snow leopard hunts mountain goats, gorals, wild sheep, small deer, and Tibetan hares.
In Russia, the main food for the snow leopard is mountain goat, and in some places also deer, argali, and reindeer.
Snow leopard on the hunt
At sharp decline Given the number of wild ungulates, the snow leopard, as a rule, leaves the territory of such regions, or sometimes begins to attack livestock. In Kashmir, it occasionally attacks domestic goats, sheep, and also horses. There is a recorded case of 2 snow leopards successfully hunting a 2-year-old Tien Shan brown bear(Ursus arctos isabellinus).
Snow leopards consume plant food—green parts of plants, grass, etc.—in addition to their meat diet only in the summer.
Snow leopards hunt alone, stealthily (creeping up to the animal from behind shelters) or from ambush (watching for prey near trails, salt licks, watering holes, or hiding on rocks).
When there are several tens of meters left to the potential prey, the snow leopard jumps out of its cover and quickly overtakes it with jumps of 6-7 meters. If it misses, and does not immediately catch the prey, the snow leopard pursues it at a distance of no more than 300 meters, or does not pursue it at all. The snow leopard tries to grab large ungulates by the throat, and then strangle them or break their necks. Having killed the animal, the snow leopard drags it under a rock or other shelter, where it begins to eat it.
Snow leopard on the hunt
It usually throws away the remains of its prey, and occasionally remains near it, driving away vultures and other scavengers. At the end of summer, autumn and early winter, snow leopards often hunt in families of 2-3 individuals, which are formed by a female with her cubs.
In hungry years, they can hunt near populated areas and attack domestic animals. It mainly catches birds while roosting.
It hunts goats of any age, but mainly females and young animals (which are caught mainly in early summer).
Throughout its range, the snow leopard is the top of the food pyramid and experiences almost no competition from other predators. At one time, an adult snow leopard can eat 2-3 kg of meat.
Snow leopard with prey
Data on the reproduction of the species are scarce. Sexual maturity occurs at 3-4 years of age. Estrus and breeding season occur at the end of winter or at the very beginning of spring. The female usually gives birth once every 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 90-110 days. It makes its lair in the most inaccessible places. Cubs, depending on the geographical area of the range, are born in April - May or May - June.
The rut in nature takes place in January-March, in captivity it lasts until September, and the so-called “false mating” is observed, the pregnancy lasts about 100 days. The overwhelming number of animals (more than 90% of cases) in the wild die as a result of commercial hunting, in captivity - from infectious diseases - 65%. Young of the year left without parents, as a rule, die in nature.
Snow leopard cub
The number of cubs in a litter is usually two or three, much less often - four or five. According to other sources, the birth of 3-5 cubs in one litter is common. Larger litters are probably possible, as there are known cases of encounters between groups of seven snow leopards. The male does not take part in raising the offspring.
Female with kitten
The cubs are born blind and helpless, but after about 6-8 days they begin to see. The weight of a newborn snow leopard is about 500 grams with a length of up to 30 cm. Newborn snow leopards are distinguished by pronounced dark pigmentation of spots, of which there are few, especially few ring ones, but there are large solid black or brownish spots on the back, as well as short longitudinal stripes on its back part. For the first 6 weeks they feed on mother's milk. By mid-summer, the kittens already accompany their mother on the hunt. Finally to independent life young snow leopards are becoming ready for their second winter.
Female with one-year-old cubs. Nuremberg Zoo
The maximum known lifespan in nature is 13 years. Life expectancy in captivity is usually about 21 years, but there is a known case where a female lived for 28 years.
Due to the inaccessibility of habitats and the secretive lifestyle of the snow leopard, available estimates of the number of this species are based only on expert opinions and are indicative. At the same time, it should be noted that due to constant persecution by humans, the number of snow leopards is continuously declining. Illegal but financially attractive poaching for snow leopard fur has significantly reduced its population. On the one hand, due to the reduction of pastures and livestock, the number of the snow leopard's main prey, mountain goats, has increased; on the other hand, the deterioration of the well-being of local residents has led to the active use of hunting grounds and the development of poaching methods of catching animals, including catching snow leopards with snares. At the same time, with the beginning of the 21st century, poaching of snow leopards has also increased due to increased demand and high prices for its skins.
The total number of representatives of the species in the wild, as of 2003, is estimated to be between 4,080 and 6,590 individuals. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the total number of the species throughout its entire range is estimated at approximately 3,500 to 7,500 individuals. About 2,000 more snow leopards are kept in zoos around the world and successfully breed in captivity.
Female with cub
Population density in different parts of the range varies greatly - from 10 individuals to less than 0.5 per 100 km². For example, in Russia as a whole it is 0.7 individuals per 100 km², in Altai it ranges from 0.2 to 2.4 individuals, in Nepal - 5-7 individuals, in Mongolia it reaches 3-4 individuals per 100 km².
Factors that negatively affect the status of the population, along with poaching, include the defensive behavior of the snow leopard. Using protective coloring of the fur and having virtually no natural enemies, when there is danger, snow leopards often simply hide, which in open mountainous areas and the presence of firearms among the local population often leads to the death of animals. Also, snow leopards do not avoid feeding on the remains of the victims of other predators and often die by eating poisoned baits illegally used to fight wolves.
Currently, the number of snow leopards is catastrophically low. Illegal but financially lucrative hunting for snow leopard fur has significantly reduced its population. In all countries where the range is located, the snow leopard is under state protection, but poaching still threatens it. The snow leopard is a rare, small and endangered species. Listed on the IUCN Red List (2000) as “endangered” (highest conservation category EN C2A). In the Red Book of Mongolia (1997), the species was assigned the status of “very rare”, in the Red Book of the Russian Federation (2001) - “endangered species at the limit of its range” (category 1). The snow leopard is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is worth noting, however, that all these environmental acts and documents create only a legal framework, which is poorly implemented locally, as evidenced by the increasing level of poaching and smuggling. At the same time, there are no programs aimed at long-term conservation of the snow leopard.
In the Red Book of the USSR, published in 1984, the snow leopard was given the status of “ rare view with a relatively small area" (category 3). In the Red Book of the RSFSR, 1983 edition and the Red Book of the Russian Federation, published in 2001, the snow leopard is assigned the status of “endangered species at the limit of its range” (category 1).
Snow leopard is resting
On July 22, 2002, at a meeting of the working group with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, representatives of environmental authorities of the republics of Khakassia, Tyva, and Krasnoyarsk Territory, Institute of Problems of Ecology and Evolution named after. A. N. Severtsov RAS, Commission on Large predatory mammals The Theriological Society of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian representative office of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) adopted and approved the “Strategy for the conservation of the snow leopard (irbis) in Russia.”
Snow leopards were caught in small quantities - the world production of leopards, before the ban on hunting them, amounted to no more than 1000 skins per year. In 1907-1910, the global annual production of snow leopard skins was 750-800 pieces. In the 1950s and 1960s, only dozens of its skins were harvested on the territory of the former USSR. At the same time, the procurement price for them was extremely low - on average about 3 rubles. The main areas for snow leopard fishing were Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The skins were used mainly for making carpets, women's fur coats, coats and collars.
Snow leopards have always been in demand on the world market and are very expensive. For a long time The snow leopard was considered a dangerous and harmful predator, so hunting it was allowed year-round, by any means. They even gave out a bonus for catching snow leopards. On the world market, live snow leopards have always been in high demand, and their sale has been a profitable source of animal export.
According to experts, in 1998, 15-20 snow leopards were illegally hunted in Russia. Due to the small number of leopards and their location in sparsely populated areas, their harm to hunting and livestock farming is insignificant.
In relation to humans, the snow leopard is very timid and, even when wounded, attacks a person in extremely rare cases. Only a wounded animal can be dangerous to humans. In the territory of the former USSR, two cases of snow leopard attacks on humans were recorded: on July 12, 1940, in the Maloalmaatinsky gorge near Alma-Ata, a snow leopard attacked two people during the day and inflicted serious injuries on them. He was killed and examined and found to have rabies. In the second case, in winter, also not far from Almaty, an old and severely emaciated, toothless snow leopard jumped from a cliff onto a passing person.
Snow leopard jumping
Although the snow leopard was known in Europe at the end of the 18th century, Europeans saw a live animal only in 1872, when Governor General Konstantin Petrovich Kaufman sent a couple of young animals from Turkestan.
The first snow leopard appeared in the Moscow Zoo in 1901 and was donated by the “Honorary Trustee of the Zoological Garden” K. K. Ushakov.
Today, the captive population of snow leopards numbers about 2,000 individuals, most of which are located in China. Approximately 16% of captive snow leopards were wild-caught, while the rest were born in zoos. The number of snow leopards kept in zoos around the world outside of China is about 600-700 individuals. Animals kept in captivity reproduce successfully, for example, in 1996, 179 kittens were born from breeding 105 males and 126 females in 87 litters. Of course, we cannot see the snow leopard; even the most experienced workers mostly see only its tracks. The snow leopard is found only in the highlands, in the steepest and most inaccessible places, and today there are very few of them left. The snow leopard is not snow-white as you might think; its skin is gray with small dark spots. Unlike the tiger, the snow leopard never attacks humans; even wounded, he strives with all his strength to leave and hide. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are extremely rare.
Snow leopard family
The snow leopard never kills more prey than it needs for food; if it misses in a jump, it does not pursue mountain goats or other game for a long time. For hunting, he needs a large area, and to raise his kids, he needs privacy and peace; Little leopard cubs are born no larger than kittens, weighing 300 - 350 grams. Snow leopards mostly only enter the reserve from the territory of Mongolia, and their visits are learned from their tracks. The snow leopard is now protected everywhere, but still this rare, beautiful and fastidious animal is on the verge of complete extinction.
The snow leopard is listed on the IUCN-96 Red List, Appendix 1 of CITES. Protected in Sayano-Shushenskoye and. The Sayano-Shushensky Reserve is the main reserve for the conservation of snow leopards in Russia and the second most important in the Mongolian-Siberian part of the range (after the Great Gobi Reserve). If the Maly Abakan Nature Reserve created in Khakassia is expanded south to the borders with Tyva (Lake Ulug-Mongush-Khol), it may contain mountain views ungulates and snow leopards. The most radical protection measure should be the creation of new natural reserves. Semi-free keeping of animals is possible in them. The experience of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve shows that with strict protection, the leopard population quickly recovers. It is here that the core of the Western Sayan population should be preserved with the inclusion of the Urbun river basin (a Siberian mountain goat station) in the protective zone. The creation of the East Sayan Nature Reserve in the Oka River basin could play a role decisive role in restoring the number of snow leopards in the Baikal region. It is advisable to organize a reserve in the Central Sayan, including the Udinsky ridge and the eastern part of Ergak-Torgak-Taiga.
The total number of zoos and zoos containing snow leopards around the world is at least 130. The number of animals in them as of June 1994 was 484 individuals. It is believed that in order to maintain the gene pool of snow leopards, normal level their number may be limited to 230 individuals. In 1989 International Fund snow leopard (International Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, USA) began collecting information on the status of snow leopard groups in protected areas to create an effective control system (SLIMS - Snow Leopard International Management Systems).
Majestic Predator
Due to the inaccessibility of the habitat and the low density of the species, many aspects of its biology still remain poorly studied.
Conservation of snow leopard (irbis) and Altai mountain sheep (argali) populations in the Altai-Sayan ecoregion are the most important tasks for WWF. Both species are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as endangered. The population status of these species reflects the overall “health” of the ecosystem, so they can be called indicator species.
The snow leopard is a mysterious predator of Asia. Threats and solutions.
The snow leopard (irbis), a mysterious and enigmatic animal, still remains one of the most poorly studied cat species in the whole world. Very little is known about the biology and ecology of this rare predator, and its number within the current range is determined very tentatively. For many Asian peoples, this animal is a symbol of strength, nobility and power; Asian folklore is full of stories and legends about this elusive predator. Few people manage to see a snow leopard in the wild; much more often you can find traces of its vital activity - scratches, predator scratches in the trees, fur, excrement, urinary tracts on stones.
The snow leopard is listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has the status of a rare or endangered species in all 12 countries where it lives: Russia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bhutan.
According to WWF experts, in the Russian part of the Altai-Sayan ecoregion there are about 70-90 snow leopards, while there are no more than 4,000 individuals of the rare predator on the planet.
© Flickr.com / Linda Stanley
Camera traps in Tuva captured a charismatic predator © Alexander Kuksin
Journalists are rarely taken to these places. Even trained people find it difficult to walk on the “land of the snow leopard” © M. Paltsyn
Snow leopard track in the Argut River valley, Altai Mountains, March 2012 © Sergey Spitsyn
Festival “Land of the Snow Leopard” in Tuva © T. Ivanitskaya
What is WWF doing to save the snow leopard?
Back in 2002, WWF Russia experts prepared a document approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation. The document was developed taking into account the very limited experience of studying and protecting the species in Russia. The number of snow leopards in Russia, according to the Strategy, was estimated by WWF experts at 150-200 individuals, however, as shown by further studies in snow leopard habitats in 2003-2011. , the real number of the species in Russia is at least two times lower and is unlikely to exceed 70-90 individuals. An updated version of the Strategy, taking into account work experience and new realities, was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation in 2014.
In Russia, the snow leopard lives at the northern limit of its modern range and forms only a few stable groups in optimal habitats - the mountains of the Altai-Sayan ecoregion. The number of snow leopards in Russia is only 1-2% of the world number of the species. The survival of the snow leopard in our country largely depends on the conservation of spatial and genetic connections its Russian groups with the main population core of the species in Western Mongolia and, possibly, in Northwestern China.
In 2010, WWF moved to a new level of work and, in collaboration with numerous partners, began monitoring snow leopard populations using modern methods research: photo and video traps. This method made it possible to clarify the boundaries of the habitat of the groups and the abundance of the species. Disappointing conclusions were obtained from a study of the snow leopard group in the Argut River valley in the Altai Republic, previously considered the largest in Russia. Camera traps recorded only lynx, despite the fact that the conditions for the existence of snow leopards on Argut are ideal: high mountains, rocky gorges, the presence of the largest group of Siberian mountain goats in Russia of 3200-3500 individuals - the main food of the snow leopard in the Altai-Sayans. Surveys of local residents revealed the fact of the almost complete destruction of the snow leopard group on Argut in the 70-90s of the twentieth century, when the snow leopard fishery flourished in the mountains. WWF's task was to preserve the surviving remnants of the group and gradually restore its numbers.
One of WWF's priorities is supporting anti-poaching activities. In the same year, on the initiative of WWF, a German shepherd search dog, Eric, was trained to work in the Altai mountains in order to search and identify traces of snow leopard activity, becoming an assistant to specialists in the field.
In 2012, employees of the Altai biosphere reserve and WWF managed to obtain the first photographic evidence of the snow leopard’s habitat: cameras recorded a female and a male, named Vita and Kryuk. In addition to photomonitoring to record and study the elusive predator, in collaboration with scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution. A. N. Severtsov RAS (IPEE RAS), scientists use the method of DNA analysis of collected traces of snow leopard activity (excrement, fur, etc.), SLIMS and other modern techniques...
In 2011, in Altai, in order to distract the local population from poaching, illegal collection of wild plants or logging in the region, the WWF and Citi Foundation Program was launched to improve the quality of life of local residents and create a sustainable income from types of business that are sustainable for nature. With the help of training seminars, exchange of experience and provision of microgrants and microloans for the local population, WWF and Citi set goals for the development of legal small businesses in the field of rural tourism and ecotourism in the habitats of the Altai mountain sheep and snow leopard, the production of souvenirs and felt products, and improving performance quality of livestock, etc.
In 2015, with the support of the Pernod Ricard Rouss company, WWF specialists first tested a method of involving former hunters in environmental projects. Having undergone special training and received cameras for snow leopard monitoring, residents receive a reward for the fact that the snow leopard continues to be recorded by camera traps and remains alive and well. Already six people, including hunters from families of hereditary “leopard hunters”, have been trained in working with cameras and are participating in WWF raids, helping inspectors with information, forces and participating in expeditions.
The snow leopard is a predator that does not respect state borders. The well-being of this species directly depends on the connection between Russian groups and snow leopard groups in neighboring Mongolia and China. Therefore, the development of transboundary environmental cooperation is priority task WWF in the region. Joint research, exchange of experience, scientific, environmental and educational activities with WWF Mongolia and colleagues from other environmental structures in Mongolia are carried out annually and quite effectively. Joint projects with colleagues from Kazakhstan include the creation of protected natural areas and support for joint environmental activities.
Camera trap in the Chibit tract
© Alexander Kuksin
© Sergey Istomov
Sergei Istomov records snow leopard tracks
Snow leopard on Tsagaan-Shibetu, Tuva © A. Kuksin
© Mikhail Paltsyn
© Alexander Kuksin
What remains of the owner of the mountains
What to do next
Today, the main threat to snow leopards in the region remains illegal fishing using wire snares. An inconspicuous noose is installed by a poacher on an animal path along which animals move, and, tightening as the animal moves, it becomes a death trap. Cheap snares are often abandoned by poachers, and they remain wary for many years, threatening the animals with death. According to WWF experts, there are only a few cases of targeted hunting of snow leopards in the region. More often, loops are installed on other species of animals, in particular, on musk deer, whose musk gland is an excellent and expensive trophy that is valued in the eastern market for medicines and potions. Poaching of musk deer is a big threat to the snow leopard.
In conditions of insufficiently effective equipment and a small number of employees of government agencies for the protection of wildlife, WWF provides logistical support for operational activities in the habitats of rare and endangered species. Special attention is devoted to the fight against snare fishing.
Work in the Republic of Tyva has its own characteristics. In the region with the highest livestock population in the Siberian Federal District, shepherds live in the highlands almost side by side with the snow leopard. The decline in the number of wild ungulates and climate change are the reasons that force the snow leopard to attack livestock, which is the source of life for pastoralists. Shooting or trapping of snow leopards by local residents in retaliation for attacks on livestock is a major threat to the predator in Tuva. To reduce conflict situations WWF is taking different steps. Thus, a scheme for paying compensation to shepherds for livestock lost as a result of a snow leopard attack was tested, and measures are being taken to instill a special attitude towards the rare predator among local residents. In 2010, a simple but effective measure to reinforce ventilation holes in covered cattle pens with chain-link mesh prevented snow leopard attacks on livestock and saved the lives of many predators.
Today, about 19% of key snow leopard habitats and 31% of argali habitats in Russia have the status of protected natural areas. WWF plans to expand the network of protected areas or improve the status, as well as the quality of protection, management and existing protected areas. The number of the group in the Argut River valley is growing - photos and video traps record the presence of females with kittens here, a new habitat of the snow leopard has been found on the Chikhachev Ridge. In 2015, for the first time, an online information system was developed for snow leopard specialists, which will collect all available information on every snow leopard encountered in Russia and Mongolia - from footage from automatic cameras to meeting places and the characteristics of each snow leopard.
International cooperation between Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan should develop, ensuring the conservation of animals that do not respect state borders.
WWF will continue to take an integrated approach and work in partnership with multiple partners. This will optimize resources and ensure the long-term conservation of these species in the Altai and Sayan Mountains.