Jaguars

The jaguar (Panthera onca), whose name in a Latin American Indian language means "wild beast that overcomes its prey in a single bound," is the only member of the genus Panthera found in the Americas. It prefers to live in areas with good cover and near rivers, streams, and other wetlands in tropical rainforests and savannahs.
Diet and Hunting: Like leopards, jaguars hunt by night. They stalk prey on the ground and then attack it with a crippling blow. If the jaguar does not fell its victim with the first blow, it will not try again. Although the jaguar, with a heavier and more compact build, does not climb as well as the leopard, it may chase monkeys and parrots in trees. It also swims well and fishes by crouching in ambush along a bank or an overhanging bough. They prey on deer, monkeys, birds, turtles, turtle eggs, and frogs.
Status: Although exact population figures are unknown, the jaguar is an endangered species. Once common from southern Arizona to the middle of Argentina, the jaguar is now extinct in the U.S. and virtually extinct in the developed areas of Mexico and Central and South America. The largest remaining population lives in the Amazon rainforest. Most countries with jaguar populations legally protect them, but hunting and habitat loss continue to be threats to the survival of the species.
In February 1986, the government of Belize officially opened the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve in the southern part of that country, one of the cat's last strongholds. The government designated an area in a mountain-embreced tropical rainforest in the hope that it will allow the animal to survive and give scientists a chance to study one of this hemisphere's most overlooked creatures. Since 1985, following the completion of a two-year jaguar study, World Wildlife Fund has provided support for the initial development and protection of the Cockscomb Preserve.

World Wildlife Fund is endeavoring to put a stop to the illegal traffic in cat skins as well as to create and maintain reserves to protect them and other endangered species.

World Wildlife Organization

Snow Leopard

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) has a round head, broad paws, and a long, round tail. Its paws have cushions of hair which prevent the cat from sinking into the snow and protect the soles of its feet from snow, the cold, rough ground in winter, and the sun-heated rocks of summer.
The snow leopard's beautiful coat changes from season to season. Its thick, white winter coat becomes a fine yellow-gray during the summer. Solid black or dark brown spots arranged in rows mark its head and lower limbs. This spotted white coat serves as a wonderful winter camouflage and helps to keep the cat warm in winter and cool in summer.
Habitat and Distribution: Essentially adapted to mountain life, the snow leopard lives in remote areas of Asia's Himilayan Mountains. Depending upon the season, it occupies mountain steppes and coniferous forests at altitudes ranging from 5,900 to 18,000 feet, and contends with extremes of climate.
Diet: Because of a low prey density, the snow leopard migrates to different altitudes along with its prey and usually hunts alone. During the summer, the snow leopard hunts at high altitudes for wild sheep, hare, mice, and birds. In winterthey hunt at the lower elevations for deer, wild boar, gazelles, and hare.
Reproduction: Cubs are born in well-hidden and fur-lined dens which the mother builds beneath rocks or in rocky crevices. One to four young are born in late spring or early summer. Like newborn kittens, they open their eyes only after a week or more, but by the time they are two months old, they are very active. They remain with their mother only through the first winter of their lives. Then they must forage for themselves.
Behavior: Snow leopards are fantastic jumpers; they can leap 20 to 50 feet through the air. With no difficulty they can leap straight up into a tree or onto a cliff, often simply to perch and rest. The long, thick tail helps the snow leopard to keep its balance.
Status: The snow leopard has become rare in many parts of its native habitat largely because it has been widely hunted for its strikingly beautiful coat. India has protected its populations since 1952, and World Wildlife Fund supports research and habitat conservation projects for the snow leopard in Nepal.
World Wildlife Fund endeavors to put a stop to the illegal traffic in endangered cat skins as well as to create and maintain reserves to protect them and other endangered species.


Snow Leopards In Mongolia
Snow Leopard Lovers Club, Irbis
International Snow Leopard Trust

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