• The footage was taken on September 3 in Shiqu, China’s Sichuan province
  • According to herders, there are only 30 leopards on the nature reserve
  •  Snow leopards are considered a class A protected animal 

By Sophie Williams For Mailonline

Published: 13:02 BST, 7 September 2017 | Updated: 13:33 BST, 7 September 2017

Video footage has captured the rare sight of endangered leopard cubs waiting in a cave for their mother to return.

The video footage was taken on September 3 in Shiqu, China’s Sichuan province, reports the People’s Daily Online. 

They were found in a nature reserve where its thought that around 30 of the animals live. 

Video footage has captured the rare sight of endangered leopard cubs waiting in a cave

A close up shows the adorable creatures

A close up shows the adorable creatures

Video footage has captured the rare sight of endangered leopard cubs waiting in a cave

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep

The footage shows the litter of three snow leopards inside the cave in southwest China. 

One of the cubs can be seen growling at the camera. 

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep. It’s thought that the cubs are around three to four months old. 

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the area

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the area

One of the cubs can be seen growling at the camera

One of the cubs can be seen growling at the camera

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the area

Found in cave: The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve

Found in cave: The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve

Found in cave: The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the surrounding areas for the mother leopard, reports Xinhua. 

The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve. The animals have only been caught on camera 20 times since 2013. 

According to local herders, around 30 snow leopards are thought to be living in the mountains. 

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classed as ‘endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They have been spotted in China’s Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan and Xinjiang. 

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