Himalayan Intrigue

Featured animal:  Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia)

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Location: Ladakh

Because of their incredible natural camouflage, rendering them almost invisible in their surroundings, snow leopards are often referred to as the “ghost of the mountains.” Its powerful build allows it to scale great steep slopes with ease and its hind legs give the snow leopard the ability to leap six times the length of its body. A long tail enables agility, provides balance and wraps around the resting snow leopard as protection from the cold. Their thick white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes blends in perfectly with Asia’s steep and rocky, high mountains. Snow leopards play a key role as a top predator, an indicator of the health of their high-altitude habitat.