Snow leopard - the inhabitant of mountains

Snow leopard is an animal symbolizing strength, power and nobility. The range of its habitat is highlands. This is the only representative of the feline, who spends his entire life high in the mountains and rarely descends to the plains. Irbis lives in 13 states located in Central Asia, including Russia. The largest number of animals is on the territory of China, in our country there are only about 150-250 individuals.

By its appearance and color, it is very similar to a leopard, but still smaller in size. And the snow leopard is stronger. Russia, this predator is familiar, because it is found in Khakassia, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Altai Republic, Tyva and other mountainous regions. Of the entire cat family, snow leopards are considered to be the most evil, ferocious and ruthless predators. Their fur is very valued, 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 camouflage among the stones and snow. In some ways, snow leopards are like 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 keep its balance by climbing the rocks. Snow leopard is an excellent hunter, the length of his jumps is up to 15 meters. Jumping from a height, he tries to fill up the victim and immediately kill her. An adult snow leopard can easily deal with a deer, whose weight will be 2-3 times greater than its own.

Snow leopard is a very cautious animal, therefore so few people saw it in its natural habitat. Only traces left on the snow tell about his presence. Irbis prefers to live alone, the territory for hunting is strictly limited, and beyond it no animal leaves. Snow leopard in the late summer and autumn can hunt in a group that includes 2-3 individuals - a female with cubs.

The main prey of irbis are ungulates: boars, mountain goats, deer, sheep, roe deer. If extraction is difficult to find, then they can eat gophers, birds, pikas. In the summer, leopards except meat eat grass. Most of the big cats publish a roaring roar, with which it communicates with relatives, but the leopards are purring, like pets. In the period of the rut they mewl meowishly.

Barsjats are born by weight on a half a kilogram and length of 30 cm. The first week they are blind and completely helpless, but then they catch sight. In a natural habitat the snow leopard lives up to 13 years, but in captivity can live 7 years longer. There is a case when one female survived to 28 years.

In the 60s of the last century the number of Irbis was minimal. Poachers killed the animals in the hundreds and sold their skins on the black market. Then the governments of all states where they live, decided to ban the hunting of the leopard. Today he is under protection, but still poaching threatens his population. The number of animals has increased significantly, compared with the past decades. The nature of the Irbis is about 7000, and in captivity - about 2000. Snow leopard is a symbol of many Asian cities, it is depicted on the arms of the city of Alma-Ata, as well as Tatarstan and Khakassia.