Afghanistan: a rare specimen of snow leopard captured and soon released. The animal is expected to be released into the wild soon.
This is a rare species. Snow leopards are classified as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with their numbers declining due to the effects of climate change, loss of natural habitat and poaching. The breeder whose animals were killed Thursday said he asked for government support after losing his only source of income.