Video Of Snow Leopards Frolicking In Snow-Covered Zanskar Valley Delights Internet

Also known as the "ghost of the mountains", snow leopards are notoriously elusive and live in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. Recently, IAS officer Supriya Sahu thrilled wildlife enthusiasts by sharing a captivating video of two snow leopards playfully frolicking in the snow-covered Zanskar region of Ladakh. Originally captured by tour operator Tashi Tsewang, the video provides a rare and enchanting glimpse of these elusive creatures in their natural habitat.

Ms Sahu described the sighting as a "fleeting dance of wild joy," perfectly encapsulating the snow leopards' elegant movements. In the clip, the majestic animals can be seen effortlessly running and leaping across the pristine, snow-laden Zanskar valley, embodying the beauty and mystique of their mountainous home.

"A fleeting dance of wild joy - Snow leopards somewhere in Zanskar valley in Ladakh," the video was captioned on X byMs Sahu.

Watch the video here:

A fleeting dance of wild joy - Snow leopards somewhere in Zanskar valley in Ladakh

🎥 tashizkr pic.twitter.com/gkZ8pmDbZM

— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) January 6, 2025

Rarely spotted and hardly photographed as they are, the recent sighting of two snow leopards in Ladakh has left the internet awestruck. Reacting to the video, one user wrote, "Superb and graceful."

Another commented, "Zanakar is almost Paradise." A third said, "One of the rare videos of leopards playing in snow. Beautiful to eyes."

According to the WWF website, snow leopards are thinly spread across 12 Central Asian countries. They are at home in high, rugged mountain landscapes. In India, snow leopards are mostly found in the high-altitude, mountainous Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. 

According to a nationwide survey, India is believed to have a population of at least 718 snow leopards in the western Himalayas. Like most cats, snow leopards are solitary animals rarely spotted together. They are skillful predators, able to kill prey up to three times their weight in challenging terrain. They are a rare species of wildlife that is highly threatened due to poaching for their skin, bones, and other body parts.