Peek into the Life of a Snow Leopard Mom & Cubs

After her cubs are born in late spring or early summer, females remain in the den for the first few days with their newborn cubs. Once this initial period is over, they start to leave the den more frequently and for longer periods. Cubs are unable to walk for the first month of life, so they spend most of their time in the den and depend entirely on their mother for everything.

Our team has been fortunate to observe the denning behavior of several snow leopard females, providing us with valuable insights. However, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s still a lot we don’t know about this crucial life stage for females and their cubs. 

The map below shows the movements of a denning female known as Lasya over multiple days. We tracked her in the weeks immediately after she gave birth to new cubs. She left the den most days and likely returned daily to the den sites. (The cluster of locations just south of the den is probably because rocks obstructed the GPS signal inside the den, so the GPS only shows the last location before she enters.)

After analyzing the data from Lasya and the other denning females we have tracked, we found that they seemed more active during the day and dusk, the opposite of what we would expect of snow leopards during the summer months. That’s because these are the warmest times of the day when a non-denning snow leopard would typically rest. Denning females may stay close to their cubs during dawn and late at night because these are the coldest times of the day, and they need to keep their cubs warm.

Lasya displays other habits we don’t see in males or non-denning females. Under usual conditions, after a hunt, snow leopards remain near their kill to guard their food and eat occasionally. Denning females must return to their cubs, so they travel back and forth over multiple days to finish their meal. In this instance, Lasya appears to have successfully hunted two ibexes in quick succession and ate from both kills over the next few days.

We know denning females like Lasya make shorter trips than a typical snow leopard and that their movements are restricted to the den site and the surrounding area for the first months after the cubs are born. We also know that the home ranges of denning females are significantly smaller than for males and non-denning females. This makes the location of her den especially important, as she will have much less area for hunting than usual. Choosing a den in a safe area with abundant prey appears paramount for the cubs’ survival.

After about 1.5-2 months, the female leaves the den and her cubs begin to follow her on shorter trips. For the first few months after they leave the den, the females stash their cubs in safe places while they hunt. When the cubs are about 4-5 months old, they follow their mom more consistently and remain with her until they are 18-22 months old.

Exploring the early stages of a snow leopard’s life is extremely challenging but vital for the species’ conservation. Because we do not track cubs directly, we rely on the data we receive from their mothers to fill knowledge gaps and enhance our understanding of snow leopard ecology. These insights are crucial for developing effective conservation strategies to ensure that future generations of snow leopard cubs can thrive in their mountain habitat.

You can help keep snow leopards like Lasya and her cubs safe from illegal wildlife trade by making a gift here. 

Acknowledgments:

This long-term ecological study is in collaboration with Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation in Mongolia and Snow Leopard Trust, with special thanks to the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism, the Government of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Academy of Sciences for their support

We would also like to acknowledge:

National Geographic Society, Acton Family Giving, Bioparc Zoo de Doue la Fontaine, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park, John Ball Zoo, Kolmarden Zoo, Korkeasaari Zoo, Nordens Ark, Parco Zoo Punta Verde, Play for Nature, The Big Cat Sanctuary/Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Tulsa Zoo, Whitley Fund for Nature, Zoo Basel, Zoo Dresden, Zoo New England and the many incredible partners who have supported programs like our Long-term Ecological Study and research in Mongolia since it began in 2008. We could not do this work without you.