The Snow Leopard of Persia

These magnificent leopards, are in decline all over, including in Afghanistan, but enjoy the largest population, in Iran, which includes the largest leopard population. But then Iran a wonderful refuge for wildlife. Breathtaking scenery.

en.wikipedia.org...

about 200–300 survive in Afghanistan, where their status is poorly known;
fewer than 10–13 survive in Armenia;
fewer than 10–13 survive in Azerbaijan;
fewer than 5 survive in Georgia;
about 550–850 live in Iran, which is the leopard stronghold in Southwest Asia;[5]
about 3–4 survive in Nagorno-Karabakh;
fewer than 10 survive in the Russian North Caucasus;
fewer than 5 survive in Turkey;
about 78–90 live in Turkmenistan.[1]

Their habitat consists of subalpine meadows, broadleaved forests and rugged ravines from 600–3,800 metres (2,000–12,500 ft) in the Greater Caucasus, and rocky slopes, mountain steppes, and sparse juniper forests in the Lesser Caucasus and Iran.[4] Only some small and isolated populations remain in the whole ecoregion. Suitable habitat in each range country is limited and most often situated in remote border areas. Local populations depend on immigration from source populations in the south, mainly in Iran.[6]

The Persian leopard is a flag-ship species. Its presence is a sign of the health of the entire ecosystem.

These beautiful creatures are the messengers for the health of the entire region, and by extension carry a message to the entire planet.

When are we going to set aside our destruction of this planet and start to focus on the wonderful gifts we've been given?

www.snowleopard.org...

www.panthera.org...

www.arkinspace.com...
The snow leopards of Afghanistan.

The war torn country is home to a vigorous population of snow leopards. The World Conservation Society recently laid a number of camera traps in the Wakhan Corridor. This mountainous area is a long panhandle in the north east of the country and the camera traps captured snow leopards on film in sixteen places....

That isn’t the last of their worries either. Many of these fuzzy-tailed felines are caught and sold by the illegal pet trade. Then there is the Chinese problem. Their bones and penises are in high demand by the bourgeoning middle classes of China. It is believed that ingestion of their body parts increase sexual performance in humans.

tolweb.org...

Indicator Species

The presence, absence, or relative well-being of an indicator species in its environment indicates the heath of the surrounding ecosystem as a whole. Being one of the top predators in the high mountain food web of Central Asia, the Snow Leopard helps to keep the ecosystem in balance by preying on marmots, ibexes and other native herbivores. If there are too many herbivores in the area, they will degrade the alpine meadows, leaving no food for both wild herbivores and domesticated livestock. If Snow Leopards disappear from the area, the rest of the ecosystem will fall apart.
Native Beliefs

There are many ancient beliefs and traditions surrounding the Snow Leopard in areas where they are commonly found. Many have been preserved for centuries and are still incorporated into some religious rituals today.

Nepal: In northern Nepalese societies, many indigenous and shamanistic practices incorporate the Snow Leopard. Some folklore describes Snow Leopards as a "fence" for crops, meaning that if there are none around, native animals would be free to invade crop fields. Other inhabitants believe Snow Leopards are born to remove sins from past lives, and that killing one means transferring their sins to your own life.

Tibet: Milarepa, one of Tibet's most famous poets and yogis, is said to have transformed himself into a Snow Leopard while stranded on a mountain in the winter. By doing this, he was able to survive six months until his disciples could travel up the mountain and search for him.

The Wakhi: The Wakhi are a group of people native to northern Pakistan, China, Tajikistan and Afghanistan. They believe that supernatural beings, called mergichan, inhabit the high mountains of the region. The mergichan are holy and very powerful, and so the area they inhabit is pure and sacred. The Wakhi believe the mergichan often take the form of a Snow Leopard, since the animal exemplifies many of the qualities of the mergichan: elusive, powerful, beautiful, and potentially dangerous.

Far too many beautiful creatures are either gone or are in decline due to the selfishness of mankind.It kind of makes one feel ashamed to be part of the human race.

Very beautiful animal. It is a shame how many of our creatures are hunted for their body parts. Morons who think eating their penis will make them better lovers. Or the wealthy who just want to wear their fur coats.

So its both the hunters for hunting them, and the customers who want them.. i would guess its not that much of our population, maybe 10% but thats enough demand too eventually hunt them all.

Their eyes say so much. Each personality, distinctive, unique, wise. So sad what we're doing to this planet.


The Snow Leopard

--The Snow Leopard is on IUCN's red list of Endangered species. There are only 3 000-7 000 snow leopards left in the wild.

--Because of their unique and beautiful fur, there is a demand for snow leopard fur coats, hats, etc....

--Since their prey and food supply is being hunted and poisoned they kill farm animals; the angered farmers usually shoot the snow leopards for this.

Snow Leopard Quest 2 - BBC Planet Earth

Confinement always breaks my heart.


Snow Leopard cubs first outing into the main enclosure


Snow Leopard Cubs in HD

Something tells me that Seattle is not their natural home. I hope that captivity isn't the only chance for survival this species faces.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

FFI reports that habitat loss and poaching have caused at least a 20 percent decline in snow leopard populations in the past 16 years.

Scientific American writes that scientists in Australia have created "embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of an endangered adult snow leopard." The scientists' (theoretical) goal is to help save endangered big cat species by reproducing them in labs.

It seems they have done stem cell research aimed at preservation, or will it end up being ownership of this species?

Aww, its cute!

Lets bomb its ecosystem now!

reply to post by ReadyPower

...Morons who think eating their penis will make them better lovers.

Uhhh... snow leopard? What snow leopard? I haven't killed any snow leopard!
This is a Zionist plot to discredit my manhood!
You can't prove anything!

- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

reply to post by theBigToe


Lets not bomb anything anymore. But start to work for unity and manage the vineyard, healthy and whole, clean energy, and educated well cared for, equalized people. We also need to stop giving our power away to elitism and start to run things from counsels of citizens and expose all mysteries and hidden power structures.

I found an article on Afghanistan, and this was a country that changed hands quite a bit, even Russia was right in there for years, and their deforestation and environmental damage is high. This one speaks of a need to restore Afghanistan, and start to work on managing the nature and vineyard a lot better.

War is devastating. I was looking for nature pictures in the middle east, with the latest Muslim Majority uprising and murders in Syria a couple days ago, breathtaking scenary, in Afghanistan, which is mountainous and ancient feeling, and Iran which is lush and diverse, to Syria which hauntingly beautiful too. And then I saw these beautiful endangered snow leopards, and their intelligent/wise eyes, each speaking so much personality.

A symbol of nature and wholesomeness in a world gone mad.

Why is it that humans are so easily controlled and kept destroying each other and all of nature.

Lets not bomb Iran, and not push the Muslim Brotherhood into suppressing Syria even more than it has been, and China or anyone exploiting body parts of animals in general, and especially rare animals, beyond their need for food, should have pressure brought upon them to stop.

www.earthisland.org...

www.worldwildlife.org...

factsanddetails.com...

If people could only stop allowing themselves to be distracted, stressed out, overworked, or bought off by comfort and fear of trying to affect change in the world, and would start to look at the reality and beauty of what is around us, could we start to polish up the jewel of a loving, grateful heart? Can we start to fall in love with the world around us, nature and all of humanity, seeking only solutions that encourage and assist but do not harm, and choosing carefully how to deal with aggression and hostility, through negotiation and attempts to heal and educate. Is destroying the world around us a form of self defense? We need to be inspired by what's around us, not apathetic and turned out.

Nature contains so many lessons. We need to stop giving our power away and seek to be empowered caretakers of the planet and Love/Peace to one another.

Look at each unique being here before us, with so much soul in their eyes. Not that I wish too get too close. Nice kitty, kitty, kitty!

Super beautiful animals. I got to meet one 'in person' when I was looking after and handling wildcats.
They are so utterly awesome.

You should just feel their FUR! omg, amazing, warm, and luxurious, all attached to a heavily purring happy big kitteh. ahhhhhh! I turn gooey remembering.

Thank You!!!!!

Umm, the Persian leopard is a subspecies Panthera pardus ciscaucasica of the leopard. The snow leopard is an entire different species. Snow leopards once lived in Iran, but they are now extinct in that region.

Otherwise a beautiful thread about magnificient animals.

reply to post by Unity_99


What a beautiful big kitty

Wouldn't want that cat near my little Lucy though Lucy is my little petite 45 pound Liver colored English Pointer.

Thanks for sharing, very interesting information!

Looking into this being's eyes, makes me wonder about man's arrogance and how intelligent these animals really are?

How could anyone want to kill one of these beautiful majestic creatures simply for their fur

It is a shame to see animals disapear, but I would not trust those numbers because where I live there are supose to be no cougars yet I have seen one multiple times. They still show a general idea that the snow leapord is in decline.

Originally posted by ofhumandescent
reply to post by Unity_99

 

What a beautiful big kitty

Wouldn't want that cat near my little Lucy though

Lucy is my little petite 45 pound Liver colored English Pointer.

Thanks for sharing, very interesting information!

Looking into this being's eyes, makes me wonder about man's arrogance and how intelligent these animals really are?

How could anyone want to kill one of these beautiful majestic creatures simply for their fur

The bigger cats are quite a deal more smarter than you would expect or think they are.
They are, of course cats, so, measuring their intelligence on par to the obedient eagerness of a doggie is difficult. However, They do have fairly large brains, and from experience in interacting with cats like cougar, lynx, serval, and such, they are indeed smarter than a dog, but, in much different ways in how they interact with their environment and react to their surroundings and other animals (you included).

The big cats are so totally breathtaking up close.