In the wild:The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is native to the mountainous regions of South and Central Asia. Living in the alpine and subalpine zones, snow leopards have evolved and adapted to some of the harshest environments in the world. The cat species is very agile, with forelimbs that are shorter than the hind limbs, and are capable of jumping as far as 50 ft. Their paws are large and covered in fur, which which act as snowshoes, as well as providing padding when climbing on sharp rocks. Conservation organizations are working to reduce the threats faced by snow leopards, as well as reducing human-leopard conflicts. They also focus on increasing anti-poaching efforts and protecting the fragile habitat in order to increase the snow leopard’s population in the wild.

At the Philadelphia Zoo: The Philadelphia Zoo currently has two snow leopards in its collection. They are rotated through the “Big Cat Falls” exhibit along with five other species (African lion, Amur leopard, Amur tiger, jaguar, and puma). The snow leopards forcibly bred and displayed at the zoo will never be released to wild to conserve the species and serve only as a part of the zoo’s collection of exotic animals to draw in visitors to use them as background for a family outing. As with most of the animals confined at the zoo, the snow leopards are denied every natural instinct and live a deprived, sad life. Click below for video of one of the snow leopards confined in the postage-stamp sized “Big Cat Falls” exhibit (less than one square acre, total) panting on a hot day.