Main image via Reuters + AKIPress
With most of the world under lockdown to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we’ve had many sightings of animals taking over some of our favourite places like
Some endangered animals have also been making their presence known. Recently, France saw its first ever wolf in over a decade, and now, snow leopards have been spotted near the Kazakh city of Almaty.
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Reuters recently reported that several snow leopards, including a mother and her cub, have been spotted near the city in Kazakhstan. The snow leopards were seen wandering through a usually popular hiking destination that is now currently off limits due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Without humans around, the snow leopards are free and safe to roam out and about once again.
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There are only around 150 snow leopards left in Kazakhstan, out of a global population of less than 10,000 across Central and South Asia.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has classified these magnificent big cats as vulnerable and as these animals are rarely seen in the wild, let alone within city limits, it’s incredible that they’ve been spotted near Almaty.
Image via AKIPress
In the past few weeks, at least three snow leopards have been caught on film by a motion sensor-equipped camera trap installed near the Big Almaty Lake by an NGO set up to protect the species.
The camera trap was able to capture a lone male and a female with a cub near the mountains.
Image via Reuters
According to zoologist Alexey Grachyov, who works with the Snow Leopard Foundation, there are only around 20 of these big cats left in the mountains near Almaty, so this sighting is extremely rare.
Alexey pointed out a common misconception that people have about these animals is that snow leopards only live at high altitudes. In reality, they actually live closer to humans than most people realize.
“This is a unique population that has adapted to human presence,”Alexey noted. “Every snow leopard probably sees humans, cars, sees the city every day, sees it encroach on its habitat.”
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It’s definitely amazing to hear about snow leopards roaming about once again! We hope that there’s more sightings of magnificent animals, even as the lockdown measures around the world slowly loosen.
In the meantime, be sure to keep playing your part by staying safe and staying home, and only going out if it’s absolutely necessary. And if you’re going out, be sure to practice social distancing.
Stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via Reuters