Tuesday, July 15, 2025

March 3, 2016

Never Seen Before Footage Of A Snow Leopard In Its Natural Environment [Video]

Here at home we marvel at big cats like leopards and lions, but over in the remote mountain regions of Eurasia they have this gem hidden up their sleeves.

If you’ve ever read The Snow Leopard, the book by explorer Peter Matthiessen, you’ll have a soft spot for the rare and elusive creature that has largely managed to avoid human eyes.

That’s all changing as motion-sensitive camera traps become a tool utilised more frequently by researchers, THESE pictures from Pakistan back in 2014 grabbing international headlines.

Now this filmer has gone one better, the camera trap on the Russian-Mongolian border capturing a snow leopard out for a stroll. Below from the Telegraph:

The video, filmed in the Altai-Sayan Mountains, shows the rare big cat examining the camera near to the filmer’s tent.

The filmer later wrote online: “Snow leopards have evolved to live in some of the harshest conditions on Earth.

“Their white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes blends in perfectly with the steep and rocky mountains of Central Asia.

“The snow leopard’s powerful build allows it to scale great steep slopes with ease. Its hind legs give the snow leopard the ability to leap six times the length of its body.

“A long tail provides balance and agility and also wraps around the resting snow leopard as protection from the cold.

Here’s hoping our sightings of the elusive animal remain few and far between, which should mean the snow leopard is one species we can’t bring to the brink of extinction.

[source:telegraph]