Snow leopards are known for their agility and great strength which allows them to easily climb large, steep slopes.
But they are also experts at blending effortlessly into their surroundings with their thick gray and yellow-tinged fur.
The photos show snow leopards in the Spiti Valley, India, which are almost invisible because they are perfectly camouflaged against the snowy mountain backdrop.
The stunning images of the big cats were taken by wildlife photographer Arkaprava Ghosh, 39, who said: “The hardest part for me was spotting these big cats in their habitat.”
Can YOU spot the snow leopards hiding in these images?
Snow leopards are known for their agility and great strength which allows them to easily climb large, steep slopes. One of them is climbing the mountain in the photo above: can you spot her?
But they are also experts at blending effortlessly into their surroundings with their thick gray and yellow-tinged fur. The image of a snow leopard blends into the mountain above. Can you see it?
The photos show snow leopards in India’s Spiti Valley, perfectly camouflaged against the snowy mountain backdrop. There is one hiding in this photo. Can you find it?
Capturing snow leopards is no easy feat; their habitat in India’s Spiti Valley is around 4,000 meters above sea level and requires a team of trackers.
Mr Ghosh said: “I have been photographing nature and wildlife for around 15 years and it was a dream to photograph the elusive snow leopards in their natural habitat.
“For a long time, so little was known about these shy and solitary animals that they acquired an almost mythical status.
“As one of the rarest species on our planet, snow leopards are masters of the art of camouflage and are often referred to as the “gray ghost.”
“The hardest part for me was spotting these cats in their habitat. The joy and feeling after seeing one in the wild is out of this world.
Snow leopards climb the steep mountain slopes of Central Asia and blend into the landscape.
They are threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to climate change and human encroachment, retaliatory killings resulting from human-wildlife conflicts, prey reduction, and poaching.
They are found across a large expanse of high mountains in North and Central Asia, including the Himalayan region.
In the Himalayas, majestic felines live in the high alpine areas.
Their habitat is rugged mountainous landscapes over 3,000 meters above sea level in 12 countries around the world, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia and Mongolia.
The species is considered vulnerable by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), with only around 4,000 individuals remaining.
The stunning images of the big cats were taken by wildlife photographer Arkaprava Ghosh, 39, who said: “The hardest part for me was spotting these big cats in their habitat.” He captured a snow leopard in the image above. Can you spot it?
Capturing snow leopards is no easy feat; their habitat in India’s Spiti Valley is around 4,000 meters above sea level and requires a team of trackers. Two are pictured on the mountainside above. Can you find them?
The stealthy snow leopards can be seen blending into their surroundings, proving that they are the ultimate masters of camouflage. Can you see who is hiding in this picture?
The images of the snow leopards were captured by Arkaprava Ghosh (pictured), 39, in their habitat in the Spiti Valley, India.
Mysterious “ghost cats” are known for their distinctive meows, growls and moans. The magnificent creatures purr as they exhale.
Often solitary, leopards nevertheless join forces to hunt in pairs, usually in pairs. They feed on wild animals like Himalayan blue sheep, Himalayan tahr, argali and wild goats.
However, these beasts are known to also target domestic livestock, meaning they themselves can fall victim to angry farmers.
Snow leopards kill prey up to three times their own weight in their harsh terrain.
Snow leopards are almost impossible to spot to the untrained eye, but once you catch a glimpse of them, you can see how effective their camouflage is.
Here are the answers for anyone who had trouble finding the snow leopard.
Have you spotted all the snow leopards circled below?
The snow leopard in this photo is resting on the steep mountainside, but its fur makes it almost impossible to distinguish from its surroundings.
The big cat in this image is climbing the mountain, but is almost invisible on the mountainside.
The snow leopard, which feeds on wild animals like goats in the Himalayan mountains, climbs the mountain in search of food.
Its thick fur tinged with gray and yellow makes it almost impossible to see the snow leopard blending into the stones above.
In the image above, two snow leopards blend into their surroundings as they hunt for prey together.
The snow leopard appears to defy gravity as it glides down the steep slopes of India’s Spiti Valley with ease.