IT'S SNOW LEOPARD DAY!
Photo credit: Woodland Park Zoo
This cat has a thick coat right down to the end of its very long tail, which it uses for balance. It also uses its tail as a blanket by wrapping it around itself. Their dense fur has allowed them to adapt to the very cold and rugged
mountains of Tibet and China.
Solitary animals, they hunt mostly at dawn and dusk, and are
strong enough to bring down prey much larger than themselves. A typical meal might be a sheep or a mountain goat.
There are some very aggressive conservation programs in
place to protect this beautiful cat. The International Snow Leopard Trust and
the Snow Leopard Conservancy are the world's two leading organizations
dedicated specifically to conserving them (Arkive.com). Efforts are obviously hampered by the very
harsh climate and region in which they live. However, local people have taken
on the responsibility to help bring populations of snow leopards together in an
effort to promote breeding and increase numbers.
Below are links for you to explore and learn more about this beautiful animal. I highly recommend Arkive.org and a visit to the Endangered Cat Species Survival Trust on Facebook. Links to both sites are given below.
I do hope you take a moment to think about
this magnificent cat, and consider what it would be like if they disappeared from our planet forever.
My thanks to Arkive.org for some of the pictures.
Enjoy!
Jeanne E. Rogers, Author
The Sword of Demelza
An Award Winning Middle Grade Fantasy, Where Endangered Animal Heroes Roam the Pages!
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