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The Dangers Of Snow Leopards

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There are less than 5,000 snow leopards left in the wild. To put that in perspective, that averages to about one for every 4 people that live on Ft. Leavenworth. Snow leopards pose no threat to humans, but humans are the greatest threat to snow leopards. (1)A snow leopard is an amazing creature. (2) Snow leopards are “ solitary animals” that live and hunt in the rocky areas of the Himalayas and surrounding mountains (National Geographic). (3) They have beautiful white coats that are inches thick to keep them warm and help them hide and blend into their surroundings. (3)Each leopard coat has different spots, like human fingerprints. (3)They are one of the few large cats that understands to ration its food for days. (2) Snow leopards have tails as long as their bodies that “make a good scarf” during the cold mountain nights (Defenders). (3) They curl up in their tails to keep warm. (3) They are about 3-4 feet in length and around 2 feet tall. (3) They can very far-over 40 feet! (4) Snow leopards (panthera uncia) are special creatures that live at the top of their food chain (Patent).

(1) Snow leopards are an extremely miniscule threat to humans. (2) They are shy creatures, and according to the Snow Leopard Trust, “There has never been a verified attack on a human” -not even in zoos-because they are afraid of humans. (3) Snow leopards are not typically aggressive and would rather hide or run than confront a human. (3) They prefer to hunt and move at morning and evening so they are not seen often. (3) People describe them as ghosts because they are rarely seen due to their camouflage and because they are sleeping quite often. (2) Snow leopards do attack “corralled sheep [herds]” in times of need (Defenders). (3) They do this when the farmer or herder brings his flock into the leopard’s territory. (3) The herd eats everything and leaves nothing for the usual prey of the snow leopard. (3) The prey leaves and the herd is the only thing the leopard has to eat, so it strikes. (2) Snow leopards are actually remarkably important as they indicate “ the health of [their] high altitude” habitats (WWF). (3) When they are in high population, it shows that all the species below them in the food chain are

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