In early 1990`s there was a snow leopard from Afghanistan in the San Francisco Zoo. He was in a steel barred cage.
One day I took an Afghani mujhadeen fighter wounded in fighting against the Russians and his family to a trip to that zoo.
When he saw the snow leopard in the cage, he started talking to it in pashtu. The snow leopard got up and started making purring sounds kinda and rubbing up against the bars. I asked the Afghani Fighter “What did you say to the snow leopard?”- He said - “I talked to him. ‘Hello- How are you?’ I know this cat from my country because we tame them there in the high mountains .- He`s a tamed cat- he shouldn`t be in a cage.” True story.
Very cool story. Snow leopards, unlike ‘real’ leopards (which are not even the same species), are surprisingly easy to tame. Almost like cougars. Also, considering the respect the Mujahadeen had for ‘strong’ animals it is not far-founded that, as long as it didn’t prey on their livestock, they wouldn’t necessarily kill the animals. Totally believable story that is only made more credible by the fact you were there yourself.