This footage shows an injured snow leopard that was on the verge of death after falling from a great height fighting for its life after being rescued.
The video was filmed at the Qinghai Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Centre at the Xining Botanical Garden, in Xining, a city in central China near the Tibetan Plateau.
The footage shows the cub, rescued from Suojia Township, Zhiduo County, Yushu, Qinghai, with its eyes open as it rests. It is unclear if it was not moving due to sedatives or its injuries.
The video then shows the young animal eating some juicy meat before the images cut to it looking at the camera with its eyes wide open before the video ends.
The young male snow leopard cub had been between life and death for seven days during which time it received emergency treatment.
Vets examining it determined that it had injured itself after falling from a great height.
The experts said that the cub, dubbed Ling Xiaozhe, may have lost his ability to move due to soft tissue injuries in his neck, thoracic spine and hind limbs caused by falling from a high altitude, which led to a series of serious consequences such as long-term starvation and infection.
The snow leopard is still recovering and his condition has improved but he is not yet out of danger, the centre told local media on 13th March.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is primarily found in central and southern Asia.
It is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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