Plane painted with incredible snow leopard portrait to draw attention to the endangered animal

In an effort to draw attention to the threat of extinction of the snow leopard, one airline has painted the large wild cat’s likeness on the nose of its Embraer 190-E2 airliner.

The snow leopard plane is the first of five that Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, has ordered. The remaining four will be delivered in the upcoming year. The endangered snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. It is estimated that there are fewer than 10,000 left in the wild. While there have been no verified instances of the animal attacking humans, poaching continues because the snow leopards are prized for their skin and body parts.

Air Astana President and CEO Peter Foster debuted the new look of the airliner on Dec. 14 at Astana International Airport.

“All of us at Air Astana are pleased to receive our first E190-E2, and we look forward to a smooth entry into service and a simple transition for our pilots. We know Embraer’s E-Jets well and have high expectations for their new generation aircraft in terms of economics, environmental impact and levels of comfort and convenience for our customers,” Foster said.

The Embraer 190-E2 is destined for domestic flights across Kazakhstan, as well as to destinations in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and China. The 190-E2 is also reportedly more environmentally friendly than its predecessor, the E190, burning 17 percent less fuel, making it the most efficient single-aisle aircraft.

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Embraer, has been turning heads with its unique planes, including one that looks like a shark, and another painted like a tiger.

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