Baby Snow Leopard's Tiny Yawns Are Almost Too Cute to Handle
Sometime just around 2pm, the afternoon slump starts to set in. On a good day it's just a minor inconvenience, but on a sleepy day, not even coffee will do the trick.
This baby snow leopard from Kansas' @tanganyikawildlifepark knows exactly how that feels. The little one can't help but let out a few yawns in a priceless August 6 video, and it's just too cute to resist. I just had to watch on repeat, even if it made me yawn myself!
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OMG--what a cute snow leopard cub! The zookeepers who were lucky enough to witness this precious scene have one of the best jobs in the world, and I can't be convinced otherwise. Caring for this baby must be so fascinating and fun!
Viewer @starryquinzel made me smile with a relatable and hilarious comment: "If deadly, why squishy face? If dangerous, why soft and fluffy? The math ain't mathin' and I need to pet it." LMAO! I had some of the very same thoughts while watching this video. It's almost hard to believe that this young cub will grow up into a huge predator!
It's true--snow leopards are the top predators of the mountainous areas where they live. They currently reside in 12 countries, including:
- Afghanistan
- Bhutan
- China
- India
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyz Republic
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
These beautiful large cats can grow to a whopping 120 pounds, so the cub in this video has a lot of growing left to do. Despite the species' large size and position and top of the food chain, their population is rapidly declining. The World Wildlife Fund lists them as a vulnerable species, with only 4,000-6,500 individuals estimated left in the wild.
Thankfully, conservation centers, big cat rescues, and zoos like the Tanganyika Wildlife Park are helping to protect the snow leopards and their habitat. The adorable videos of cubs are just an added bonus!
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