Top 10 facts about snow leopards

Their fur keeps them well insulated in cold weather - it can be 5cm long on their back and sides and almost 12cm long on their belly. Snow leopards' tails are 80-105cm long, they’re thought to aid balance and they also wrap them around themselves for added warmth.

The snow leopard's main prey in Nepal - blue sheep - will provide one snow leopard with food for a week. 

Snow leopards live at high altitudes, usually at elevations of 3,000-4,500m. They prefer steep, broken terrain like cliffs, rocky outcrops and ravines. Having short forelimbs and long hind legs help keep them agile in their steep and rugged environment. 

Unlike other big cats, snow leopards can't roar. Snow leopards have a 'main' call described as a 'piercing yowl' that's so loud it can be heard over the roar of a river. 

Despite being called the snow 'leopard', this big cat is more closely related to the tiger than the leopard. 

Snow leopards' wide, fur-covered feet act as natural snowshoes - helping distribute their weight over soft snow and protecting them from the cold.

Snow leopards can travel over an incredible 25 miles in a single night. 

Snow leopards are really well camouflaged! Their long fur and less distinctive markings that seem to change shape with body movement make identifying individual snow leopards difficult compared to other big cats like tigers, leopards and jaguars, which have more distinctive markings.  

The snow leopard would do well in most athletic events, it’s best potentially being the long jump. Some snow leopards have been known to leap up to 9 metres - 6 times their body length!

There could be as few as 4,000 leopards in the wild, however the exact number is unknown as they are extremely elusive. The main threats they face are habitat loss and deterioration, human-wildlife conflict, loss of prey, poaching for the illegal trade, and climate change. As a result, snow leopards really need our help, WWF is working alongside communities, Governments and other organisations to address some of the threats snow leopards face.