Snow leopard kittens sniffed a camera trap

On the territory of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a camera trap captured several snow leopard cubs at once.

Snow leopard kittens caught in a camera trap on the territory of the Sayano-Shushensky Nature Reserve

Grown-up snow leopard kittens, a species listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, are among the 9 individuals that are constantly registered in the reserve. There are no more than 90 such cats in Russia.

The female was brought to the reserve from the territory of Tajikistan. She quickly got used to it and gave birth to three kittens at once in the Sayan Mountains - two males and a female.

“The snow leopard family has begun to roam much more widely. The kittens are actively exploring the territory of the reserve while under the supervision of their mother. Young snow leopards still play and run a lot, despite the fact that they are almost adults,” said the head of the scientific department, Roman Afanasyev.

In a few months, snow leopard kittens will become independent. They will have to forage for food, look for shelter and make trails without their mother, who taught them the rules of forest life for more than a year.