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See all of our Hansa Stuffed Animals at the index page.
Snow leopards live on steep, rocky slopes above 3000 meters elevation in central Asia. Besides being rare and having good camouflage fur, they are tremendously elusive. It was 1970 before George Schaller managed the first photograph of a snow leopard in the wild. But when Schaller tried again a few years later he was unable to locate another leopard. Peter Mathiesson's classic The Snow Leopard chronicles this 1973 expedition as they find only signs and traces of the near-mythical feline.
In addition to prey such as pika and mountain goats, snow leopards also like to eat domestic goats or yaks. That does not endear them to local people. They are extremely endangered throughout their range, but they are so elusive and camouflaged that field studies are difficult. Recent conservation programs have been working with locals to establish value for snow leopards besides as pelts.
Hansa produce an assortment of quality plush animal figures designed to capture each animal's beauty and character. Hansa use high-quality synthetic plush, often custom produced for their specific requirements of color, pattern and texture. The Hansa designers use complex cutting patterns with as many different plush variations as needed to get the right appearance for their animals. The fabrics are hand-cut to match each animal's design. Eyes, noses and paws are individually sewn to give each animal its realistic and individual appearance. Many of the animals get air-brushed accents to highlight body or facial details. Then the animals are hand-stuffed creating the unique poses and looks that are distinctively Hansa.
Hansa also make a series of life-size large animal plush which include a structural metal frame that is light-weight but capable of being "ridden" by children and even adults up to 250 pounds in weight. Stuffe & Nonsense cannot stock the large animals, but you can check their full collection at the Hansa Toys USA web site. If you see something interesting there, contact us and we can get it for you.
