THE SNOW LEOPARD

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is a species of carnivorous mammal in the Felidae family native
to the mountains of Central Asia.
This Asian big cat of the panther family is known for living in snow areas and being seen little, so
much so that it is nicknamed "the Ghost of the snows". It is an extraordinary animal in many ways
but, as with many other species, humans are interfering with its life on many levels, so much so that
we harm it.
They live in remote mountains at altitudes of up to 6000 m a.s.m.s., which is why little is known
about them. Its hair is gray, soft and exceptionally dense, and it has a tail also of exceptional length
that rolls around the body to warm itself.
It hunts by day and attacks all kinds of wild animals, as well as livestock. They are sometimes killed
by farmers, but also hunted for their skin.
The future of the snow leopard is in danger because of climate change due to the fragility of its high
mountain habitat. It is estimated that only 4,000 snow leopards survive in the high mountains of
Central Asia and this number continues to fall. Increasing habitat loss and degradation, poaching
and conflicts with local communities have contributed to its population suffering a 20% decline
over the past 16 years and have left the species on the brink of extinction in many places.