Super rare footage captured by a remote camera in the Karakoram Mountains of Northern Pakistan. These vocalizations by the male snow leopard are to mark his territory and let females know he is in the area. Can you imagine hearing this while backcountry skiing?
FULL VIDEO DESCRIPTION:
Global wildlife charity, The White Lion Foundation (TWLF), has today released exceptionally rare footage of a snow leopard calling in the wilds of the Karakoram Mountains, in Northern Pakistan.
The stunning video footage was recorded using remote specialist field cameras, set up along the natural trails of the snow leopards habitat in the Khaplu Valley of Baltistan, the Himalaya’s. The high definition cameras are being used for important scientific research, to track and monitor the wild snow leopard population in the region.
Dr John Knight said, ‘It is extremely unusual and special to be able to get such clear footage of a snow leopard vocalising in the wild, as they are by nature elusive and solitary, only coming together to mate and raise young. The adult male is exercising his vocal calls to establish territory and to let females know he is in the area’.
Wildlife experts recognise that footage of this calibre is unprecedented, as the leopards tend to live in such remote locations, making it extremely difficult to film or photograph them in the wild. However, with advanced camera technology and AI, it is possible to enjoy the natural majesty of the snow leopard without disturbing it in its natural habitat.
The snow leopard is one of the world’s most endangered big cats. There are an estimated 4,000 to 7,500 left in the wild, and over the last decade an average of one a day is believed to have been killed. Many leopards die at the hands of poachers and the illegal trade, but more than half are killed in retaliation for attacks on local herder’s livestock.
The White Lion Foundation is working in partnership with Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organisation (BWCDO) and local village populations in the area to help protect and conserve the snow leopard.
Being able to track the leopard population in this region provides valuable data on numbers, habitat and behaviour, in very remote and hard to access areas. This enables greater understanding and hence protection for the animals and for the rural farmers who heavily rely on their livestock for income and provision for their families. TWLF is also building leopard-proof corrals to keep rural communities’ herds and flocks safe at night from leopard attacks.
TWLF’s Director Shirley Galligan said: “In these challenging times, it lifts our collective spirits to see such unique and wonderful footage of the forever-beautiful snow leopard. Our charity is working very hard to make sure these exquisite creatures are able to continue living in freedom, in the Karakoram mountains for many generations to come.”
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