| Perhaps the most beautiful of all big cats, the Snow | | | | Snow Leopards have evolved to be specialized |
| Leopard is an amazing animal. Living at altitudes higher | | | | predators and opportunistic hunters. They take a |
| than those of most predators, the Snow Leopard | | | | variety of prey, including animals much bigger than |
| creates a niche for itself in some of the most difficult | | | | themselves. |
| terrains and hostile climates in the world. | | | | Their leaping ability (45 feet) surpasses even that of |
| Panthera Uncia, the Snow Leopard, is frequently | | | | the cougar enabling the marvelous cat to surprise its |
| grouped in small cats owing to its inability to roar, | | | | prey and encounter the hilly ranges of its territory. |
| even as it is gifted a predator as any other felid. The | | | | Distributed over a large mountainous terrain in South |
| cat is characterized by its nearly meter long tail that | | | | and Central Asia, Snow Leopards hunt a number of |
| helps protect its face during extreme cold and | | | | animals including boars, ibexes and rodents. |
| enables it to balance itself while encountering adverse | | | | Conservation efforts over the past few decades |
| topography. The weight ranges from 80-130 lbs. | | | | have helped bring Snow Leopard population out of |
| Males are larger with a squarer face. The feet are | | | | imminent threat of extinction. Numerous national |
| bigger and furrier for its size relative to other cats, | | | | parks and protection programs have sprouted in local |
| helping the leopard tread over snow. The coat is | | | | countries with aim at boosting the numbers in wild, |
| very attractive with thick fur and beautiful rosettes | | | | complemented by successful breeding in captivity. |
| characteristic of leopards. In winter the coat gets | | | | Numbers in the wild, though, hover around five to six |
| more white than yellow. | | | | thousand - the conservation status still being |
| Owing to inhospitable terrain and difficult habitats, | | | | 'endangered'. |