These adorable snow leopard cubs were caught prowling the mountains of Tajikistan with their mother on a camera trap set up by Panthera, a wild cat conservation group:
In true holiday form, the playful cubs are shown licking and pawing icicles, and attempting to climb a rock. Along with this entertaining footage, also included are stunning images of the snow leopard mother and one of her cubs inspecting the camera trap, their quizzical faces pressed up against the camera lens.
Panthera worked with University of Delaware graduate student Shannon Kachel and the Tajik Academy of Sciences to set up 40 camera traps. This particular camera was in Tajikistan’s Jartygumbez Istyk River region, an important corridor connecting two separate breeding groups of the beautiful cats. Check out the video below to see the adorableness:
'Tis the Season for Snow Leopard Cubs - Tajikistan, 2012 from Panthera Cats on Vimeo.
And here are some great screenshots from the video, because I just couldn't help myself. Their paws are so huge! I'm in love.
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