{"id":31396,"date":"2012-07-13T22:30:40","date_gmt":"2012-07-14T02:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=31396"},"modified":"2012-07-13T22:30:40","modified_gmt":"2012-07-14T02:30:40","slug":"snow-leopard-mother-and-cubs-seen-in-den-for-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/snow-leopard-mother-and-cubs-seen-in-den-for-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Snow Leopard Mother And Cubs Seen In Den For First Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

 
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The dens of two female snow leopards and their cubs have been located for the first time in Mongolia’s Tost Mountains. This is the first known video taken of a mother and cubs.<\/p>\n

The research was done by scientists from Panthera, a wild cat conservation organization, and the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT).<\/p>\n

The snow leopard is a very secretive and elusive animal. When its nature is combined with the difficult nature of the landscape that it inhabits, it makes for a very difficult animal to track. Snow leopards’ dens have been extremely difficult to locate. The discovery is a big one in the field and will provide valuable insight into the life of the snow leopard.<\/p>\n

 
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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.”<\/p>\n

Below are videos of the female and her cub in a partially human-made den. The videos were recorded from a distance by \u00d6rjan Johansson, Panthera’s Snow Leopard Field Scientist and Ph.D. student. The camera used was fixed to an extended pole.<\/p>\n