Wildlife Heritage Foundation

Ranschan is an enchanting, enigmatic looking Snow leopard who watches the world pass by from his tree top perch.

He weighs 35 Kg (approx 70 lbs), and eats on average between 4 – 6 Kg (8 – 12 lbs) of meat 3 times a week. Normal feeding days are Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.

There is nothing rushed about Ranschan — he contemplates everything from eating and washing to sleeping, and will simply disappear up his tree if not in the mood for entertaining the crowds. However he may be coaxed with titbits and may even allow a scratch on his head if you are lucky.

Ranschan is in the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP). The hope is that he will breed with our female Mizi when they find the time to reproduce! 

These cats are playing a vital role in keeping this species from extinction.

Snow leopards live in some of the world´s most remote habitats, ranging from China, Nepal, India, Kazakstan, Mongolia and the Gobi dessert. They are a protected species and numbers are estimated to be between 3,500 to some 7,000, due to the cat´s elusive secretive nature.

The snow leopard was placed on the Worlds Conservation Unions red list as "Endangered" in 1972.

A snow leopard´s fur is dense and woolly to help them stay warm in their bitterly cold habitat. The fur on their bellies is up to 12 cm (nearly 5 in) long. Snow leopards have white, yellowish, or smoky-grey fur patterned with dark-grey to black spots and rosettes (these markings camouflage them against the rocky slopes).

The snow leopard's short forelimbs and long hind limbs give the cat agility in its steep and rugged environment. The mountain sheep and goats that are the cat's primary prey are extremely agile, and the snow leopard must match them in order to survive. Their tail is as long as their bodies and is used for balance and sometimes to wrap around their body and face, like a cosy muffler, for warmth when resting Their long, powerful hind limbs help them leap up to 30 feet, 6 times its body length! Their well-developed chest muscles help them climb steep slopes.

They have powerful lungs and large chest capacity to help them get enough oxygen from the thin mountain air, while their enlarged nasal cavity helps them warm the cold air they breathe before it gets to the delicate tissues inside the lungs.