Mountain School for Snow Leopards

A cub smells a warm den, the scent of its mother,
nuzzles her thick off-white fur with black markings
She washes her cub, thick tongue like sandpaper.
The cub chases her long tail, that helps with balancing.

He can practice hunting by pouncing on mum’s tail,
stalking butterflies, learn to stay downwind of prey,
but, one day, he’ll have to hunt on his own without fail
so he can eat and grow strong in his own territory.
He has to learn to be quiet when he steps out of the den,
climb steep slopes, follow his sheep, goats and other prey.
Learn to watch out for birds who might warn when
he’s about to pounce, giving his meal chance to get away.

He’ll stay with mum until it’s time for him to leave and
live on these remote places. He’ll need to learn the sounds
and scents of animals, birds, the lessons that enable him to blend
with the snowy landscape, and thrive within its bounds.