The Snow Leopard

The Snow Leopard(Panthera uncia) 

The Ghost Cat

                                                                                      by Jefferson Escamilla

Photograph by Dr. George B. Schaller

What is The Ghost Cat?

“The Ghost Cat” aka the snow leopard,  belongs to the panthera genus, and is referred to as “The Ghost Cat” because the snow leopard can disappear from sight very quickly and is quite rare to see.  This grey feline is has thick fur with dark spots that are unique to each snow leopard.  This specie has tremendous strength in it’s legs that let the snow leopard jump about 50ft.  They also range from 4ft to 5 ft with their tail adding another 3ft.  Weighing between 60 and 120lbs, the snow leopard is capable of killing species three times. 

The Range of the Snow Leopard

Here is a video of two snow leopards, a mother and her cub. 

https://youtu.be/4UURfyRCi64

Where do they live and what do they eat?

The snow leopard lives in the harsh conditions of the Himalayas which is why it has a thick coat of fur and tough paws.  The snow leopard is the apex predator and preys on blue sheep, ibex, game birds and small mammals. It also occasionally preys on domesticated animals as well.

Photograph by Steve Winter

Quick Facts:

• Snow Leopards can’t roar
• Ready to mate between 3-4 years old
• Their tail helps them balance and keeps them warm by wrapping them selves with it
• Most active at Dusk and Dawn

“Sean O’Connell: They call the snow leopard the ghost cat. Never lets itself be seen.

Walter Mitty: Ghost cat.

Sean O’Connell: Beautiful things don’t ask for attention.”(The Secret Life of Walter Mitty)

Threats 

listed 03/28/1972 

The snow leopard is a very beautiful creature but is an endangered specie. The snow leopard is constantly being threatened.  From farmers retaliating for the killing of their livestock to poachers killing snow leopards for their fur and bones for traditional Chinese medicine, the snow leopard is in jeopardy. Habitat destruction is taking the major toll on the snow leopard population.  Farmers are overgrazing on the lands which decrease the food supply for the snow leopards prey, that ultimately decrease the snow leopards population.

Recovery Plan

The ultimate plan is to have a self sustaining population in the wild. But to do that there are steps that must be taken.  Some countries like Afghanistan are now adopting conservation policies in-order to protect this creature.  The road to recovery must include the following: 

• Educating the local’s in sustainable farm practices that do not impact wildlife severely. 
• Create ecotourism that promotes conservation on the local, national and global level for the snow leopard
• Increase patrol on trade routes to prevent the selling of snow leopard goods
• Involve the national government to create and enforce laws pertaining to the killing,trade, or possession in order to protect the specie.

What can you do?

You probably can't go to the Himalayas and protect these beauties but you can still help!  Spread the word about the endangerment of the Snow Leopard.  You can also check out http://www.iucnredlist.org/, http://www.snowleopard.org/, and http://www.worldwildlife.org/  and make a small donation to help contribute to the protection of the snow leopard.  

Just Remember it's not to late to save The Ghost Cat!

Sources

“Snow Leopard.” WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web.

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/snow_leopard/

Wallpaper -- National Geographic for Milestones in Wildlife Photography. 1970s. National Geographic, Pakistan’s, Chitral Valley. National Geographic.  

Winter, Steve. Out of the Shadows. Digital image. Http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/winter-photography#/10-cat-snow-714.jpg. National Geographic, n.d. Web.

Winter, Steve. Out of the Shadows. Digital image. Http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/06/snow-leopards/winter-photography#/13-cat-night-714.jpg. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 

Jackson, R., Mallon, D., McCarthy, T., Chundaway, R.A. & Habib, B. 2008. Panthera uncia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T22732A9381126.   http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T22732A9381126.en

McPherson, Angie. “Rare Pictures: Snow Leopards Caught in Camera Trap.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 25 Jan. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015. .

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Dir. Ben Stiller. Screenplay by Steve Conrad. Adapt. James Thurber. Perf. Ben Stiller,Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn. 20th Century Fox, 2013. DVD.