Snow Leopard

« The snow leopard is more or less invisible until it makes a dash for its prey. »

A leopard for an eternal winter

Well-equipped for the cold!

As humans, it is hard to imagine an environment that is more unforgiving than an almost constantly snow-covered mountain, nearly 5,500 m above sea level. And yet, this environment is the perfect habitat for the snow leopard! With a range that reaches from Russia down to northern India, this big cat, sometimes called the ounce, occupies the largest mountain ranges in the world, such as the Himalayas. The snow leopard is highly adapted to the extreme weather that is prevalent in these areas. It has a thick coat and furry footpads, perfect for protecting itself from the cold and moving around in the snow.

Did you know?

Baby news! Snow leopard

The pitter patter of snow leopard paws outdoors…

“Un Œil en Coulisse” enters The Heights of China to focus its lens on two young snow leopards, Taiga and Saïan, who were born in 2015, and have since left for other zoos.

The Beauval Nature association

For the past 10 years, the Beauval Nature association has joined forces with field workers to support them in their primary mission of species conservation. Beauval works closely with numerous conservation and research programmes around the world to study and protect endangered species. This everyday action takes place in order to protect our biodiversity.

Get involved with Beauval Nature!

Audrey

Having arrived at the ZooParc de Beauval at just one year of age, Audrey quickly acclimatised to her new environment.

In 2015, she became a mother for the first time when she gave birth to two adorable females.

Who knows? Maybe she will soon be a mother again!

Snow leopards news

Sponsor our snow leopards

Establish a strong bond with your favourite animal whilst supporting conservation programmes through the Beauval Nature association!

Vulnerable

Sponsor Audrey

Sponsor Audrey

Animals that can be sponsored

Learn more about the species

Range

Asia

Diet

Carnivore
Gestation period

3½ months
Litter size

1 to 5 young
Habitat

Mountains

The king of the mountains

Snow leopards play a key role as both top predator and as an indicator of the health of their high-altitude habitat. If snow leopards thrive, so will countless other species.

An agile, secretive hunter

Considering that they must deal with the snow leopard and its formidable camouflage, being an herbivore in the mountain ranges of Central Asia is probably not so easy. The snow leopard is perfectly hidden amongst the rocks and is therefore more or less invisible until it makes a dash for its prey. It is extraordinarily agile and can chase its prey over steep, rugged terrain but only for a short distance. The snow leopard’s favourite prey animals are large mountain ungulates, such as ibex, wild sheep, wild donkeys, and young yaks. Depending on the season, it may also attack domestic animals when wild prey is scarce.

Rarely observed reproductive behaviour

The snow leopard is quite difficult to observe in its natural environment. Especially during the breeding season! Relatively little is known about the reproductive behaviour of this big cat. Fortunately, reproduction occurring in zoological parks has given some insight into the encounters that take place between males and females. Their preferred mating period seems to be between January and March, resulting in spring births. Most of the births in zoos occur in May. So, now you know when to come and see our snow leopards if you are hoping to see some babies!