Jumping for their supper

Snow leopards hunt small to medium-sized ungulates (hoofed animals) such as wild goats, bharal (Himalayan blue sheep), and ibex, but also small mammals such as hares and marmots and occasionally birds. They stalk their prey or lie in wait for it. If a prey animal approaches, the snow leopard pounces and brings it down or chases it with six to seven-metre-long leaps. The hunt is not without danger for the snow leopard itself: if a prey animal falls from a cliff during its panicked flight, the hunter can also fall to its death. After a successful hunt, the snow leopard drags its prey to a safe place before beginning to eat.

A snow leopard kills a large prey animal roughly every 10 to 15 days. This feeds the animal and its cubs, if it has any, for about a week. If they cannot find enough wild animals, the big cats also catch farm animals such as sheep and goats. They also occasionally eat grasses, herbs or twigs. Various studies, however, have shown that wild sheep and goats make up the largest part of their diet.

1. South Gobi, Mongolia, 2012: 70.4 % Siberian ibex; 17.3 % domestic goats; 8.6 % argali (mountain sheep); 2.5 % domestic sheep; 1.2 % birds
2.  Baltistan, Pakistan, 2011: 31.2 % plants; 17.2 % not identified; 16.1 % domestic sheep; 11.8 % domestic goats; 9.7 % Siberian ibex; 8.6 % domestic cattle & yaks; 3.2 % markhor; 2.2 % birds
3. Ladakh, India, 1994: 41.0 % plants, 23.4% bharal (Himalayan blue sheep); 10.2 % domestic goats; 9.8 % marmots, 4.3 % red foxes; 3.1 % hares; 3.1 % birds; 2.3 % domestic sheep; 1.2 % domestic cattle & yaks; 0.8 % horses; 0.4 % donkeys; 0.4 % Ladakh urials