The snow leopard is an animal symbolizing strength, power and nobility. Its habitat is highlands. This is the only feline who spends his whole life high in the mountains and rarely goes down to the plains. Irbis lives in 13 states located in Central Asia, including Russia. The largest number of animals is in China, in our country there are only about 150–250 individuals.
In appearance and color, it is very similar to a leopard, but still smaller in size. And the snow leopard is stronger. This predator is familiar to Russia because it is found in Khakassia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Altai Republic, Tuva and other mountainous regions. Of the entire cat family, snow leopards are considered the most evil, ferocious and merciless predators. Their fur is very much appreciated, for one skin on the black market you can get up to 60 thousand dollars, because there are very few snow leopards. In all countries where they live, animals are listed in the Red Book.
The coat color is light gray with dark spots, which allows the leopard to perfectly mask itself among stones and snow. In some ways, snow leopards are similar to jaguars. The weight of an adult can reach 100 kg, the coat is very thick, the tail is long and fluffy, it helps the animal to maintain balance, climbing the rocks. The snow leopard is an excellent hunter, the length of his jumps reaches 15 meters. Jumping from a height, he tries to fill up the victim and kill her immediately. Adult snow leopard can easily deal with a deer, whose weight will be 2-3 times more than its own.
The snow leopard is a very cautious animal, so few people have seen it in its natural habitat. Only traces left in the snow speak of his presence. Irbis prefers to live alone, the territory for hunting is strictly limited, and not a single animal goes beyond it. At the end of summer and autumn, the snow leopard can hunt in a group of 2-3 individuals — this is a female with cubs.
The main prey of snow leopards is ungulates: wild boars, mountain goats, deer, rams, roe deer. If it is difficult to find prey, then they can feed on gophers, birds, and pikas. In summer, leopards, in addition to meat, eat grass. Most large cats emit a call-out roar, with the help of which they communicate with relatives, but the leopards purr like pets. During the rut they meow bassly.
Lambs are born weighing half a kilogram and 30 cm long. The first week they are blind and completely helpless, but then they see clearly. In a natural habitat, a snow leopard lives up to 13 years, but in captivity it can live 7 years longer. There is a known case when one female survived to 28 years.
In the 60s of the last century, the number of snow leopards was minimal. Poachers killed hundreds of animals and sold their skins on the black market. Then the governments of all the states where they live decided to ban the hunting of leopards. Today it is under protection, but nevertheless poaching threatens its population. The number of animals has increased significantly compared to past decades. In the nature of the snow leopards, about 7000, and in captivity, about 2000. The snow leopard is a symbol of many Asian cities, it is depicted on the coat of arms of the city of Almaty, as well as Tatarstan and Khakassia.
