First Videos of Snow Leopard Mother and Cubs in Dens Recorded in Mongolia

Posted on July 15, 2012

The den sites of two female snow leopards and their cubs have been located in Mongolia's Tost Mountains for the first time. The elusive leopard is known to locals as "Asia's Mountain Ghost." Videos taken of a mother and cubs were recorded by scientists from Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization, and the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT). Because of the snow leopard's secretive and elusive nature, coupled with the extreme and treacherous landscape which they inhabit, dens have been extremely difficult to locate.

Dr. Tom McCarthy, executive director of Panthera's Snow Leopard Program stated, "We have spent years trying to determine when and where snow leopards give birth, the size of their litters, and the chances a cub has of surviving into adulthood. This is one of those exceptional moments in conservation where after years of effort, we get a rare glimpse into the life of an animal that needs our help in surviving in today's world. These data will help ensure a future for these incredible animals."

The team, which included a veterinarian, entered the two dens (the first with two cubs, and the second containing one cub) while the mothers were away hunting. All three cubs were carefully weighed, measured, photographed and other details were recorded. Two of the cubs were fixed with tiny microchip ID tags (grain of rice sized) which were placed under their skin for future identification.



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