ASTANA – Rare footage has been recorded in the Almaty state nature reserve. The video from camera traps installed across the reserve captures snow leopard cubs playing together high in the mountains.
Oct. 23 is International Snow Leopard Day, a celebration of the iconic symbol of mountain ecosystems and the wild landscapes of Central Asia. Photo credit: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
“These rare images capture intimate moments that reveal the hidden life of the wild. The cubs play freely with one another, mimic their mother’s movements and begin mastering the skills they will need to hunt. In this way, they are gradually preparing for independent life in their natural habitat,” the reserve said in a social media post.
The irbis, or snow leopard, is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and is categorized as a rare and endangered predator. Its appearance on camera traps, together with its cubs, points to a well-preserved habitat in the reserve and favorable conditions for wildlife to thrive.
Earlier, a camera trap in the Ile-Alatau National Park captured five species of wildlife at once, including the snow leopard.
Earlier in February, zoologists spent three days and nights guarding a rare snow leopard in the Big Almaty Gorge after it descended from the mountains.
This rare predator inhabits the territories of nine specially protected natural areas, including national parks and reserves. According to the latest government figures, around 152 to 189 snow leopards live in Kazakhstan.
