Video Of "Beautiful And Rare Animal" In Ladakh Goes Viral, Internet Intrigued

A video of a rare animal is gaining traction on social media. Posted by Indian Forest Officer (IFS) Parveen Kaswan on twitter, the clip shows a stocky cat-like creature with peaked ears. According Mr Kaswan's tweet, the video was shot in Ladakh. He has also asked Twitter users to guess the name of the species. The short clip, posted around midnight, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and liked by more than 5,700 users.

''A beautiful and rare animal found in India. In Ladakh region. Not many have heard about it. Guess what,'' Mr Kaswan said in his tweet.

A beautiful and rare animal found in India. In Ladakh region. Not many have heard about it. Guess what. Via @fatima_sherine. pic.twitter.com/dCqnawVsrs

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 28, 2023

The accompanying clip shows dogs barking at the strange creature as it roams around a town in Ladakh. Unperturbed, the animal finally sits on a wall comfortably.

The video has been credited to Sherine Fatima, whose Twitter bio says she is the first female singer of Balti community in Ladakh.

Mr Kaswan's tweet started a guessing game. Some users said it looks like a Puma or Cougar. Others said it is a Himalayan Lynx, which is on the verge of extinction.

''Lynx... its beautiful,'' said one user. ''Didn't know that Lynx is also found in India. Thanks for sharing,'' commented another.

Others called it majestic and shared stories of their own close encounters with the animal.

According to National Geographic, lynxes are medium-size, solitary wildcats that roam the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia.

It added that the name comes from a Greek word that means ''to shine'' because of their reflective eyes. Their defining features are the prominent tufts of hair above their ears, and their short, stubby tails, as per National Geographic.

There are four species of lynx - Eurasian, Iberian, Canda lynx and bobcats (lynx rufus).