Watch: Snow leopard family spotted in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley, internet awestruck

Also known as the ‘ghost of the mountains’, snow leopards are notorious and live in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. The sighting of a snow leopard family in Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley has now taken the internet by storm. On Monday, Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan shared an incredible video of a snow leopard with two of its cubs.

Sharing the video, he wrote, “The ghost of the mountains. A snow #leopard family captured by good friend @irsankurrapria. They are one of the most agile hunters on #Earth.” The video was captured by Indian Revenue Service officer Ankur Rapriya.

Watch the video here:

Ghost of the Mountains In the present form #Leopard family captured by good friend @irsankurrapriya, They are one of the most agile hunters #Earth, pic.twitter.com/ylFhmw5DvN

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) March 6, 2023

The video shows snow leopard cubs running up a mountain and reuniting with their mother after hearing her call. In the video ahead, the family can be seen hugging each other.

In another tweet, Mr Kaswan shared more details and wrote, ”This is a mother with two cubs. Snow leopards are best adapted to high and cold altitudes. They are known for their acrobatics which include running up steep slopes and long jumps. The video was shot last week in Lahaul-Spiti.

“Snow leopards are big cats that cannot roar. Their claws are specially designed for hills and slopes. Powerful, agile, secretive and graceful,” he said.

Snow leopards are big cats that cannot roar. Their claws are specially designed for hills and slopes. Powerful, agile, secretive and beautiful. pic.twitter.com/6nP38GNOk8

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) March 6, 2023

Internet users were mesmerized on seeing the beautiful clip. One user wrote, “Wow! Can’t imagine how much effort must have gone into making this amazing video. It is a matter of great pleasure.” Another user wrote, “It is difficult to see one of these elusive animals. It is a pleasure to see a family of three.

“This is some camera work and extreme patience. Well done,” wrote a third. A fourth added, “Cutest and most beautiful wild cat. Thanks for sharing.”

According to WWF websiteThe snow leopard is sparsely distributed in 12 countries in Central Asia, and is at home in high, rugged mountain landscapes. In India, snow leopards are mostly found in the high altitude mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Snow leopards are solitary creatures and skilled hunters, capable of killing prey up to three times their weight in challenging terrain.

They are a rare species of wildlife which is highly threatened due to poaching for their skin, bones and other body parts.

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