Out of Sight

Snow leopards are exceptional athletes capable of making huge leaps over ravines. They are highly adapted to their harsh environment in the mountainous areas of central Asia, with long, thick body hair, a woolly belly and enlarged nasal cavities which heat inhaled cold air. Snow leopards are critically endangered since their fur was once highly prized and their natural prey has declined. They can bring down prey three times their own size, but on average only kill one large animal twice a month.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia) is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The classification of this species has been subject to change and as of 2000 it is still classified as Uncia uncia by MSW3. and CITES Appendix I. However with more recent genetic studies, the snow leopard is now generally considered as Panthera uncia and classified as such by IUCN. Classically, two subspecies have been attributed but genetic differences between the two have not been settled. The snow leopard is listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as globally Endangered (EN). Snow leopards occupy alpine and subalpine areas generally 3,350 and 6,700 metres (10,990 and 22,000 ft) above sea level in Central Asia. The Snow Leopard Survival Strategy (McCarthy et al. 2003, Table II) compiled national snow leopard population estimates, updating the work of Fox (1994). Many of the estimates are acknowledged to be rough and out of date, but the total estimated population is 4,080–6,590. However, the global snow leopard effective population size (those likely to reproduce) is suspected to be fewer than 2,500 (50% of the total population, or 2,040–3,295).