The incredibly cute snow leopard who made off with hidden camera from crew trying to film him

By Jill Reilly


Spot the thief: Over the survey period, the Zorkul survey scientists placed 11 automatic cameras at seven locations high up in the Wakhan mountain range of Tajikistan


When scientists carried out an animal survey in a remote nature reserve in Tajikistan, they hid cameras where snow leopard signs had been found, in the hope of gaining some insight into the behaviour of the smoky- grey animals.

They were over the moon to discover the cameras captured five separate snow leopards living in one valley system, including a family with two cubs.

But when the team returned to retrieve the cameras after three months, they were bemused to discover that one camera was missing.


Lost: But when the team returned to retrieve the cameras after three months, they were bemused to discover one camera was missing


Caught red-handed: When the images were uploaded the culprit was caught - the camera showed the cheeky cubs carrying it off

I can see you: The mischievous cubs had spotted the hidden camera and decided to take it away to investigate

When the images were uploaded the culprit was caught – the paired camera showed the cheeky cubs carrying it off.

The shy and elusive nature of snow leopards makes conserving the species even more
problematic, as it is not easy to estimate population numbers, or to identify critical habitat areas for protection.

Techniques such as camera trapping (the placement of automatic, motion-detecting cameras) can therefore be a valuable conservation tool.

Snow leopards can be identified individually by their unique spot pattern, and cameras are often placed in pairs to photograph both sides of these big cats.


Family: Over the survey period, the camera traps photographed five separate snow leopards living in one valley system, including a family with two cubs

Endangered: Numbers of the snow leopards are thought to have declined by at least 20% in the last 16 years, largely due to habitat loss and poaching

Fauna & Flora International organised the survey and with the support of Panthera, the world’s leading wild cat conservation organisation, the Zorkul survey scientists placed 11 automatic cameras at seven locations high up in the Wakhan mountain range of Tajikistan.

Numbers of the snow leopards are thought to have declined by at least 20% in the last 16 years, largely due to habitat loss and poaching.

Another threat is the fall in prey, caused by livestock damage to fragile mountain grasslands.

As natural prey numbers fall, snow leopards are forced to feed on livestock as an alternative, and are killed in retribution.

As well as these photos, the cameras also picked up many other high-mountain creatures, such as mountain Ibex, Marco Polo sheep (the world’s largest wild sheep species), and a rare mountain weasel.

Panthera’s Snow Leopard Programme Executive Director, Dr. Tom McCarthy, said:

'Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains provide a critical corridor that links snow leopards living to the

north and south of this region, and that helps to ensure the genetic diversity of the species.

These survey results demonstrate that there is hope still for the endangered snow leopard.'



source:dailymail