How’s this for a beautiful photograph of a Snow Leopard Ed?
Snow Leopard in the snow
Ten Lynx Kitttens born in Colorado
Reported in the National Geographic news today, 29th June 2009, the discovery of ten Lynx kittens, including the young cat in the picture below, marks the first time newborn lynx have been documented in Colorado since 2006. This is very good and encouraging news for the biologists overseeing the restoration of this mountain feline in the region.
The tuft-eared cats with big, padded feet are native to Colorado, but were slowly eradicated up until the early 1970s by logging, trapping, poisoning, and development. They are listed as threatened on the U.S. endangered species list.
A tuft-eared Lynx kitten born in April 2009
Photograph: courtesy Colorado Division of Wildlife/AP
Biologists had found no kittens in 2007 and 2008, possibly partly because of a drop in the number of snowshoe hares, the cats’ main food sources.
This year seven male and three female kittens have been found in five dens.
More than 200 lynx from Alaska and Canada have been released in Colorado since 1999. Biologists don’t know how many lynx are currently in the state.
Snow Leopard Cubs
Cat of the Month ~ June 2007
Snow Leopard Cubs – inquisitive little creatures. Snow Leopards are native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia
Read more about adult snow leopards on this link.
Chinese mountain cat
Cat of the Month ~ May 2009
Reported in the National Geographic News in August 2007, a remote camera captured this image of the elusive Chinese mountain cat at about 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau in China’s Sichuan Province.
A total of eight images of the feline (using a camera triggered by the body heat of the animal), represent the first time the mountain cat has been photographed in the wild, said Jim Sanderson, a cat specialist with the Wildlife Conservation Network who has been studying these animals for the last four years. Jim led the team that snapped the rare shots.
Sanderson is hoping that the new images will reveal some of the secretive habits that have kept the creature a mystery to scientists for nearly a century.
Captive Mountain Cat
Photograph: Beijing Zoo
Another image (above) of this species of cat has been taken at a zoo in Beijing. This cat has taken a defensive posture in fear of its captors.
The Mountain Catcat’s long, dense coat and thick underfur protect it from harsh Tibetan snowstorms, but such defenses are useless against local hunters, who covet its pelt.
“Until now, even cat specialists had only seen this animal as skins or in less than perfect shape in zoos”, said Jim, “These [new camera-trap] pictures will call attention to one of the rarest and most beautiful small cats.”
Lion – The King!
Cat of the Month ~ April 2008
Lion
Siamese – “Moon Diamond”
Cat of the Month ~ May 2008
Siamese – affectionate and intelligent cats
The Siamese is one of the earliest breeds of Oriental cat. The breed originated in Thailand (formerly known as Siam), where they are one of several native breeds and are called Wichian Mat (which means Moon Diamond). They are medium sized and lithe cats that have a very amiable personality – they are though also sensitive and nervous souls.
