By Saloni Mathur
CAN YOU spot the leopard camouflaged by the rocks and sparse fauna of the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh, India?
One sharp-eyed British wildlife photographer managed the trick of tracking and capturing this elusive beast to present you will these revealing shots.
The extremely rare snow leopards, known as “Rchan” in Ladakh, are among the world’s most attractive cats, with only 250 to 350 snow leopards thought to survive in this remote region of India.
They are also found in the alpine zone of the main Himalayan range and are listed as Rare in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Animals.
These images were captured by UK wildlife photographer Dale R. Morris.
“To find a leopard by oneself would be almost impossible so I hired a team of specialised Snow Leopard trackers who are actively engaged in the conservation of the snow leopard in the region,” he said.
“They have amazing skills when it comes to understanding where to find snow leopards and how to spot them in their mountainous habitat.
“When snow leopards make a kill, it takes them several days to finish their meal (if it’s something big like a mountain goat).
“So, finding a dead animal is easier than finding a snow leopard that might be hiding behind some rocks or in a bush.
“When my trackers found a dead animal, we set ourselves up nearby with our cameras and waited.
“Eventually, the leopard showed up to eat more from the carcass, and I was able to get the shots I wanted.”
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