There are very rare moments when a photographer can capture a close-up of a snow leopard, one of the most elusive big cats. But a video shared by Susanta Nanda of the Indian Forest Office (IFS) is making a big splash on social media for this very reason. The 44-second video shows a snow leopard in its natural habitat, relaxing and posing for photos. The IFS official credited the clip to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Since it was posted on Wednesday, it has been viewed more than 26,000 times and received more than 2,300 likes.
“The elusive snow leopard during snowfall… On Karakoram Range,” the IFS officer said in his tweet.
The elusive snow leopard during snowfall…
At Karakoram range.
VC: WWF pic.twitter.com/gFoziwMyxm— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) November 23, 2022
The attached video begins with an extreme close-up of the big cat, where he can be seen relaxing on top of a rock. The clip also has a shot from above that shows the full view of the snow leopard.
After some time, as the video progresses, the animal is also seen growling and in an attacking stance.
The clip has stunned Twitter users, who posted a barrage of comments.
‘Is there anything more beautiful than him? One of God’s miracles!’ a user tweeted. “For the first time I thought this one looked regal, distant and happy at the same time,” said another.
“Majestic…elusive yet powerful,” commented a third user.
According to the WWF website, snow leopards are sparsely distributed across 12 countries in Central Asia and are at home in high, rugged mountain landscapes.
The snow leopard has a beautiful spotted coat, thick enough to insulate them from the cold. Their broad, fur-covered feet distribute their weight over soft snow, like natural snowshoes, according to the website.
It went on to say that snow leopards are skilled predators, capable of killing prey up to three times their own weight in challenging terrain.
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