A rare specimen of snow leopard was immortalized in the mountains of russia by a scientist.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himIt is considered one of the rarest and endangered species on the planet: a Snow leopard was photographed from a distance by a scientific research expedition in the territory of the Sailugem National Park in southern Russia.
It was the scientist who immortalized it Alexey Kuzhlekov who photographed it from a distance of 20 meters at a height of 3 meters above sea level. The images were shared by the Park and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.
The scientist was following the tracks left by a male specimen:
“Suddenly a female came out of a rock. The distance between us was no more than twenty meters. We looked at each other for a few seconds. I carefully raised the camera and started shooting, ”said Kužlekov.
The female snow leopard remained motionless, allowing the scientist to take photos and make videos. Shortly thereafter, the male was also identified.
?The rarest close-up shots were taken during a research expedition to…
Posted by Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation on Saturday, March 28, 2020
A discovery that makes the scientists who are dealing with happy safeguard local biodiversity. In fact, the monitoring of the snow leopard is supported by both the Russian Ministry of Nature and the WWF.
Large, agile and fast, this creature lives in the mountains of Central and South Asia and in China, India and Russia, among other countries. Despite the vastness of its habitat, it is difficult to spot.
As Wild for Life explains, the snow leopard is listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population between 4.000 and 7.500 individuals.
The snow leopard, nicknamed 'the ghost of the mountains', is in danger and urgently needs protection. There are only between 4.000 and 7.500 copies left in the world.
More information on this #SnowLeopardDay: https://t.co/8gs05BdePp pic.twitter.com/2vIVY4wdwQ
– United Nations (@ONU_es) October 23, 2019
Because it's important? As the primary predator in its habitat, the snow leopard helps control the populations of its prey by keeping its numbers stable. Unfortunately, it has ended up in the crosshairs of the illegal trade. The snow leopard is sought after for its fur, which is used for home decoration and fashion. In addition to being threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, snow leopards also have to contend with farmers whose livestock is a source of food for these animals. They are also threatened by habitat loss and degradation (often as a result of infrastructure projects and extractive industries), as well as rising temperatures caused by climate change.
But sheltered from the human eye, in the Asian mountains, these animals still resist despite numerous human attacks.
Sources of reference: WIld for Life, Milenio, Mnr.gov
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