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Fast Facts:

The snow leopard has a thick, beautiful gray to yellowish-gray coat marked with large black rosettes. Hunting for its beautiful coat is just one of the reasons this cat has become an endangered species.
The snow leopard also is known as the 'ounce' and the 'irbis'.

Snow Leopard

Scientific Name:	Panthera uncia
Classification:	Phylum Chordata, Class Mammalia, Order Carnivora, Family Felidae
Status:	Endangered. Although accurate wild population estimates are difficult to make due to the remoteness of the snow leopard's range, only 5,000 animals are believed to survive in the wild.
Range:	Found in the mountainous regions in the former Soviet Union, Mongolia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Bhutan and Nepal
Diet:	In the wild, the snow leopard's diet includes wild sheep, ibex, deer, hare, gazelle, birds, boar and mice.
Size:	Weight: 60 to 150 lbs. Height: 2 feet at the shoulder
Lifespan:	15 years in captivity
Location:

Conservation

Snow leopards have been hunted for several years for their beautiful coats. In some areas, natural prey sources have been depleted due to human encroachment.

Efforts to save snow leopards:
There are currently over 600 snow leopards in captivity worldwide. More than 250 animals are managed in North America as part of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's SSP. SSPs (Species Survival Plans) are special programs designed by a team of zoo and wildlife professionals. The plans outline breeding plans, work to increase public awareness and education, help conduct research, and in some cases, organize programs to reintroduce captive-bred wildlife into secure habitats.

The snow leopards at Rolling Hills Zoo are part of the SSP program.

Other organizations and countries are involved in snow leopard conservation. The International Snow Leopard Trust researches snow leopards in their native habitats. The snow leopard's range is spread across eight international boundaries, making the establishment of a cooperative effort to save them very difficult.

Social Structure and Behavior

Snow leopards are solitary except during the breeding season. Individuals maintain well-marked territories that may overlap each other.

Breeding & caring of young:
Females typically give birth to two or three young after a gestation period of 98 -103 days. Young are usually born from April to June.

Snow leopard cubs usually open their eyes when they are around 10 days old. They eat their first solid food at about 2 months. Young snow leopards usually hunt with their mother until 1 year of age.