AKIPRESS.COM - Scientists have captured new images of a snow leopard being collared in Kyrgyzstan. The move marks the first time that one of these elusive creatures has been collared in Kyrgyzstan, reports Live Science.

The gorgeous, white-coated creature is a female in the prime of her life, between 6 and 7 years old. She was collared in the Sarychat-Ertash Strict Nature Reserve in eastern Kyrgyzstan, near the border with China.

The collaring — which was conducted by Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization, as well as partner organizations and government agencies — could help researchers understand how the endangered creatures live. 

"Each and every snow leopard we collar gives us invaluable new insights into the conservation of the entire species as well as the high mountain habitats they need to survive," lead researcher Shannon Kachel, a doctoral candidate in environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a statement. "Each collared animal teaches us new lessons about how snow leopards interact with their habitat and prey, with one another, and with us — lessons which ultimately help us protect this beautiful and elusive species and the landscapes that it depends on."