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- Snow leopards have incredible agility, which they take advantage of when hunting.
- They are actually able to twist in mid-air and land on their claws.
- Lack of working collarbone, supple spine, strong hind legs, not to mention lack of bulk means they are capable of being dropped from great distances and withstood.
If you’ve ever thought there was a predator faster than the big cats, this video might be all the proof you need. While bears may be big and wolves smart, nothing compares to the sheer agility and prowess of a leopard when it comes to hunting its prey. This clip of a snow leopard chasing a goat from hundreds of feet underwater is absolutely wild.
In a recent video, we saw what might be one of the craziest hunts of all time. Nor is this the “human” version of hunting with a gun in a tree stand — this is an apex predator that hunts in the remote mountains of the Himalayas.
The clip begins in dramatic fashion. A snow leopard chases a goat over snowy rocks.two distinct Very On high mountains, as we shall see in more detail.The leopard immediately grabbed the goat and the pair flew off an edge Lots of cliff.
In the seemingly fake video (though it isn’t), leopards and goats float in the sky, framing each other in aerial combat. Finally, after a full two seconds in the air, they slammed into the side of a cliff. Most people would think that these animals were fully splattered and dead, but no! Incredibly, the deadly fight continued as soon as they hit the ground, seemingly without phases.
Since these two animals live in the mountains, they have adapted to some environments in order to survive. Leopards, like most felines, are extremely agile and able to survive some of the craziest falls.
© Abeselom Zerit/Shutterstock.com
They can twist in mid-air so they land with their feet under them。 This reflection keeps them from grinding into the ground first or back into the ground first. In addition, cats do not have working collarbones, flexible spines, powerful hind legs, and low body mass. These things work together to minimize the impact of a fall.
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The two continued to struggle, falling further and further down the mountain. Hundreds or even thousands of feet underwater, these two creatures struggle to the death. They spin and tumble through the air, hitting the hillside repeatedly. Somehow, the leopard didn’t seem to notice the landing and continued trying to grab the goat’s neck.
Eventually, their rolls slowed and the leopards seemed to gain the upper hand. We don’t know how much the meal cost the leopard, but it’s clear that jumping off the edge of a cliff when hunting for food in the Himalayas is not unreasonable! Every time you see your little house cat jump wildly in the living room and somehow land on the ground, you know that in a different lifetime, it was hunting a goat in the Himalayas.
Be sure to check out the insane clip below!
Where do snow leopards live?
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Snow leopards live in the highlands of the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Karakoram and Tien Shan at altitudes of about 10,000 to 15,000 feet. Their range extends throughout Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Mongolia, Pakistan and Nepal. Living high among treacherous cliffs and canyons requires extraordinary athleticism under such harsh conditions, and snow leopards are capable of leaping distances of 50 feet.
Its long, thick tail helps it maintain its balance while navigating over cliffs and cliffs, while its large claws enable it to walk on snow.
Characteristics of snow leopards
snow leopard(black panther) is also known as “ounces”. It is slightly smaller than other members of the panther family and has physical adaptations for living in alpine regions, such as broad paws to walk in snow and small ears to reduce heat loss. Already classified as a “vulnerable group”, its population of around 10,000 is expected to shrink by another 10% over the next 15 years. The reason for this decline is poaching and habitat destruction.
As carnivores, snow leopards actively hunt their prey, even chasing down steep mountain slopes. That said, this cat also eats a lot of plants.
A female snow leopard will give birth to 2-3 cubs between April and June after 90-100 days of gestation. Pups will leave the nest at about 3 months of age.
Do snow leopards often fall from heights?
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According to experts, these carnivores do fall from time to time. While they couldn’t say how often this happened, they can assert that they witnessed something similar to the scene in the video. On another occasion, a snow leopard suffered a similar fall while chasing a blue sheep.
Most of the time, however, they can easily traverse those dizzying heights.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
