Nature is a gift that keeps on giving. Now, thanks to the internet, we have the opportunity to explore facets of our environment, flora and fauna that we would not have been exposed to otherwise. The latest on the list of such popular nature posts is an image of a snow leopard that has users hooked. The image, which has now gone viral on Twitter, features the wildcat camouflaging itself amid a mountainous terrain, capped with snow. It would be an understatement to say that it is difficult to spot the leopard in the image.
Twitter users got a good look at the image when it was shared by IFS Officer Ramesh Pandey who asked his followers if they could locate the animal. He went on to call the snow leopard a "phantom cat" and "ghost of the mountains", given its ability to blend in with its surroundings. This makes it almost impossible to detect the leopard at first glance. However, it took Twitter users way more than just a glance to spot the elusive animal in the image.
Sharing the photo and tagging the photographer, Mr Pandey tweeted, "Phantom cat….! They are called ghost of the mountains. If you can locate."
The photo was originally captured by Ryan Cragun, a resident of Utah on the micro-blogging platform. “Snow leopard doing a descent,” Mr Cragun wrote along with the image.
What followed next was users diligently putting in efforts to locate the big cat. And, needless to say, it was far tougher than most imagined.
Many admitted defeat and gave credit where it was due, describing the animal to be a master at camouflaging.
One user, who goes by the name Enrique admitted that he had to zoom in several times before spotting it.
Akash Rawat felt that spotting the animal was "tougher" than his "board exam".
"But what a great disguise," said a user named Ishita, after identifying the animal, though it "took some time".
Sarthak Sahani described the picture to be "mind blogging", confessing that he could not find the leopard.
"Had to look for help in the replies at the end!" confessed one user.
However, there were some keen observers who were able to locate the animal.
Interestingly, some claimed to have spotted more than one snow leopard in the said picture.
Tell us whether you were able to spot the animal or needed help like many of us to locate it.
Arunachal Pradesh Is Now Home To 36 Snow Leopards, Reveals Survey Breathtaking Close-Up Shot Of Snow Leopard Captured By US Photographer Stuns Internet Watch: Snow Leopardess And Her Two Cubs Spotted In Ladakh, Internet Awestruck MK Stalin Asks Centre To Recall Tamil Nadu Governor In Row Over Anthem Delhi Ex Minister Satyendar Jain Leaves Jail, Chief Minister Greets Him Hamas Searching For Yahya Sinwar's Replacement Outside Gaza: Report Cuba Plunges Into Countrywide Darkness As National Power Grid Fails 3 Decades Later, First Brown Dwarf Ever Found Offers A Surprise "We Have A Lot Of Interest In Indian Films": Putin Praises Bollywood Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.