Snow Leopard

Baynanno1

Snow Leopard

Nikon Coolpix P80

Featured in Cards : Animals and Pets Group, thank you moderators.

Top 10 placement in Cards : Animals and Pets challenge, Straight in the eye. Thank you voters.

Taken at Mogo Zoo on the south coast of New South Wales, where they have successful breeding programs for several endangered species.

In the wild, these beautiful gray leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia. They are insulated by thick hair, and their wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes. These cats have powerful legs and are tremendous leapers, able to jump as far as 50 feet (15 meters). Snow leopards use their long tails for balance and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill.

Snow leopards prey upon the blue sheep (bharal) of Tibet and the Himalayas, and mountain ibex found over most of the rest of their range. Though these powerful predators can kill animals three times their weight, they also eat smaller fare, such as marmots, hares, and game birds.

One Indian snow leopard, protected and observed in a national park, is reported to have consumed five blue sheep, nine Tibetan woolly hares, twenty-five marmots, five domestic goats, one domestic sheep, and fifteen birds in a single year.

As these numbers indicate, snow leopards sometimes have a taste for domestic animals, which has led to many deaths of the big cats at the hands of herders.

These endangered cats appear to be in dramatic decline because of such killings, and due to poaching driven by illegal trades in pelts and in body parts used for traditional Chinese medicine. Vanishing habitat and the decline of the cats’ large mammal prey are also contributing factors.

Source : National Geographic.

Mounted Print

Snow Leopard belongs to the following groups:

" You Big SOFTY", All Animals Great And Small., All Soft and Cuddlies !!, Animal Kingdom, Animal Photography -*4 legged & furry shots Only*, Beautiful ~ 1 submission per 24 hours, Cards: Animals and pets (2/day - NO WRITING), Made By Nature - {2 a day} - {Nature images only!}, Nature's Wonders, Shameless Self-Promotion and Zoophoria (2 per day, approval required) Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints

Snow Leopard by Baynanno1
  • Scott  d'Almeida

    Scott d'Almeida

    wow awesome,

  • Baynanno1 replied

    That was quick Scott, thanks so much.
    I took this on a fairly recent visit to the Zoo with my grandchildren during their school holidays. The Leopard was wide awake and taking quite a lot of interest in what was going on around her. She is so beautiful!

  • rain-dogs

    rain-dogs

    a truly magnificent creature and beautifully captured….interesting info too

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your lovely comments. She was being quite cooperative on that day, almost talking to us.

  • Baynanno1 replied

    P.S. Thanks also for the fave.

  • FlowersEtc

    FlowersEtc

    Beautiful

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much Ann, she is lovely isn’t she.

  • GemmaWiseman

    GemmaWiseman

    What a regal pose! Beautiful!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Gemma, thanks so much for visiting, commenting and adding this to your favourites. Much appreciation!

  • Larry Trupp

    Larry Trupp

    She is gorgeous Trish, nice work

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your lovely comments Larry. She is stunning.

  • tkrosevear

    tkrosevear

    A beautiful shot of a gorgeous animal, great narrative too ;) TK ♥

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your comments and fave. Much appreciated.
    National Geographic gets the credit for most of the narrative. Trish.

  • RRoca

    RRoca

    Wow…gorgeous capture.

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments. Much appreciated.

  • FlowersEtc

    FlowersEtc

    Your welcome

  • greenstone

    greenstone

    wow!!! stunning shot!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your wonderful comments.

  • Luca Renoldi

    Luca Renoldi

    extraordinary!!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Luca, thank you so much for your comment.

  • Trudi's Images

    Trudi's Images

    Stunning lighting and capture Baynanno1

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Trudi, thanks so much for your lovely comments and fave of this shot. All the elements were working for me as I talked to her and she responded.

  • Karen  Tillotson

    Karen Tillotson

    Incredible image…stupendous lighting! Awesome work!!!!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Karen, thanks so much for your lovely comments and for favouriting this image. I was lucky it all came together on the day.

  • LYN EVANS

    LYN EVANS

    Ohhhhh…what a beauty….what a magnificent animal….and one magnificent capture. Absolutely stunning. Instant fave :-))))

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Lyn, thanks so much for your lovely comments and fave of this shot. She is indeed a beauty and I was extremely lucky with this shot.

  • Sean Jansen

    Sean Jansen

    Stunning !!!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Sean, thanks so much for your comment and fave of this shot.

  • EverChanging1

    EverChanging1

    Fabulous capture Trish…A real beauty :o))

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your lovely comments and for favouriting this shot. She certainly is a beautiful animal.

  • Kymie

    Kymie

    Oh wow, just an awesome photo, so beautiful

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for taking the time to look and for your lovely comments. She was quite cooperative for our cameras on that day.

  • carss66

    carss66

    awesome shot,love it

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for dropping by, your lovely comments and favouriting this shot of the beautiful Snow Leopard are greatly appreciated.

  • lilian marshall

    lilian marshall

    Wow Tris this is fantastic . Great information as well . I am going to go to our zoo one day .hope I get one as good as this .

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments Lilian.
    She was awake and interested, which is more than she has been on previous visits. As with all animals, it’s a combination of patience, luck and …....

  • Baynanno1 replied

    P,S. Thanks for the favourite!

  • Larry Llewellyn

    Larry Llewellyn

    The Thumbnail image doesn’t do it justice.. This is a truly great shot!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your lovely comments Larry.
    She really was quite cooperative and interested as we talked to her.

  • Shane Viper

    Shane Viper

    Instant fave B1. Beautiful portrait. Well shot

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much Shane. I was lucky she was awake and sitting at just the right distance for me to frame her face between the mesh of the fence.

  • Martin Smart

    Martin Smart

    What a beautiful animal! Great shot Trish and a very interesting write-up too!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    She certainly is a beautiful animal. Thanks so much for your lovely comments Martin.

  • lorilee

    lorilee

    A beautiful capture!!!!!!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Lorilee, thanks so much for your lovely comments.

  • Isa Rodriguez

    Isa Rodriguez

    stunningly wonderful and beautiful !!!!!!!!!! everything about this gorgeous animal blows my mind.. amazing

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Isa, thank you so much for dropping by to leave such wonderful comments and add this shot to your favourites. Much appreciated. Trish.

  • kkphoto1

    kkphoto1

    Beautiful cat and capture!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for dropping by, your lovely comments and fave.

  • Esther's Art and Photography

    Esther's Art a...

    Amazing capture. Perfect !! photography at its best. ;o))

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments and favourite Esther.
    There was quite a bit of luck involved on the day. I have never seen her so cooperative before.

  • MarianBendeth

    MarianBendeth

    Just fantastic! love the positioning of the paws too. You should send this to Apple for their new Snow Leopard campaign!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Marian, thank you so much for your lovely comments and favourite of my Snow Leopard. I’ll check out the Apple Snow Leopard campaign. Thanks. Trish.

  • Fay270

    Fay270

    Magnificent animal and photo.

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks for your lovely comments and favourite of the beautiful Snow Leopard Fay. Thanks also for adding me to your watchlist. Trish.

  • whalegeek

    whalegeek

    Very well done! Such a regal yet intimate capture of this great animal. Keep up the swell work! :-)))

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, for adding this shot to your favourites and me to your watchlist. Trish.

  • NightPhoenix

    NightPhoenix

    Beautifull creatures and excellent capture, i spent some time tracking these in Siberia, i adore this image, well done you!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for dropping by and leaving such lovely comments.
    Much appreciated.

  • Kristina K

    Kristina K

    gorgeous well done :)) k

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your comments. She was very cooperative.

  • Britta Döll

    Britta Döll


    Congratulations!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Wow! I’m thrilled to have been featured in this group. Thank you!!

  • gabbielizzie

    gabbielizzie

    congratulations on your feature

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your congratulations.

  • E.R. Bazor

    E.R. Bazor


    Special Featured Art
    Your art has been selected for its beauty. It is Featured towards the bottom of the group home page.

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much Estes, I am honoured to have had this shot selected as a special featured work. Thank you, Trish :)

  • Ruth Lambert

    Ruth Lambert

    This is a great shot of a Snow Leopard - not many around even in zoos!!!

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thanks so much for your comments Ruth. She was very cooperative on that day. Trish.

  • Simone Byrne

    Simone Byrne

    Stunning shot, beautiful light and composition, snow leopards are my absolute favourite big cat :))

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Simone, thanks so much for your lovely comments. Many things worked in my favour that day. Trish.

  • dawndavies

    dawndavies

    absolutly stunning, such great colour,dawn

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Dawn, thanks so much for your lovely comments, she is a beauty isn’t she.

  • Ann J. Przyojski

    Ann J. Przyojski

    Awesome capture. Outstanding work

  • Baynanno1 replied

    Thank you so much for your lovely comments Ann. Greatly appreciated. Trish.

  • Cindirelli

    Cindirelli 27 days ago

    Wow-wow & WOW! This cat is absolutely beautiful and what a great story you have told as well. This is a definate fav for me. Viewed larger is breathtaking!!! Excellent portrait ~:)

  • Baynanno1 replied 15 days ago

    Thank you so much for dropping by with such lovely comments on this shot. Much appreciated, Trish.

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