Known as the "ghost of the mountains," the snow leopard is one of the most elusive creatures in the world. It is beautifully covered by thick white-to-grey fur with black spots, and has unusual gray or green eyes.
The snow leopard is native to the snowy mountain areas of Central and South Asia. In 2016, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed it as a vulnerable species due to the continuously declining number of mature individuals, and a remaining population of less than 4,000 in the world.
International Snow Leopard Day which falls on October 23 this year, is dedicated to saving one of the rarest wild cats on the planet.
A report said that 60 percent of the world's snow leopard habitats, as well as a large number of the remaining individuals, were located in China. The rest of the snow leopard population mostly resides in countries like Nepal, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, which border southwest China.
（With inputs from CGTN）
