Generally speaking, it is difficult to see snow leopards in the wild. Scientists study wild snow leopards in many indirect ways, such as feces, traces, infrared cameras, etc; There is also the observation of snow leopards raised in zoos to understand their behavior and habits, and there are few direct observation records in the wild.

I have seen the snow leopard in the wild nearly a hundred times. Now I gradually sort out some interesting behaviors I have photographed, hoping to increase people's understanding of the wild behavior of the snow leopard.

Today's sharing is the synchronization of snow leopard's behavior during courtship.

Snow leopard has only one estrus every year, usually from January to March. If they fail to conceive after mating, the female leopard may become estrous again, extending the mating period to May.

The estrus period of female animals is 5-7 days each time. In their estrus stage, they mate more than 10 times a day, and each time is short. The gestation period is about 3 months.

Snow leopard is a solitary animal. Only during estrus and baby rearing can more than one snow leopard live together. Scientists have found that animals living in pairs are similar in behavior. "There is also a high degree of consistency in a pair of snow leopards. For example, when one snow leopard sits still, at the same time, the other snow leopard has only 1% probability, not sitting still; when one is curling up his upper lips, the other has only 5% probability not to do such behavior."

The above content is taken from "Xinjiang Snow Leopard", written by Ma Ming, etc. this book on snow leopard is very helpful for me to find and observe snow leopard.

In 2019, we photographed the courtship process of two adult snow leopards in Big Cat Valley, Ansai Township, Zaduo County, Qinghai Province, and witnessed this synchronous feature.

When we first found them, the two snow leopards were lying on the ridge, then got up and walked towards each other, patted and touch each other, and then walked away from each other. The female leopard walked up the mountain and the male leopard walked down the mountain. Finally, the male leopard turned back and followed the female leopard, went up the mountain slope one after another, and disappeared into the mountain top in snow and fog.

The female snow leopard

The Male Snow Leopard

Stand up and watch to each other

Walking toward each other 

Touch the heads

Pat intimately

Walking away 

Walking to fog high mountain one after another.

Their footprints on snow