Watch: Snow Leopard Family Spotted In Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley, Internet Awestruck

Also known as the ''ghost of the mountains'', snow leopards are notoriously elusive and live in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. Rarely spotted and hardly photographed as they are, a sighting of a snow leopard family in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti valley has now left the internet awestruck. On Monday, Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan shared an incredible video of a snow leopard with its two cubs. 

He shared the video and wrote, ''The ghost of the mountains. A snow #leopard family captured by good friend @irsankurrapria. They are one of the most agile hunters on #earth.'' The video was captured by Ankur Rapria, an Indian Revenue Service officer.

Watch the video here:

The ghost of the mountains. A snow #leopard family captured by good friend @irsankurrapria. They are one of the most agile hunters on #earth. pic.twitter.com/ylFhmw5DvN

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) March 6, 2023

The video shows snow leopard cubs running across the mountain and reuniting with their mother after hearing her call. Further in the video, the family can be seen snuggling together. 

In another tweet, Mr. Kaswan shared more information and wrote, ''It's a mother with two cubs. Snow leopards are most adaptable to high & cold altitudes. They are known for their acrobatics including running on steep slopes and long jumps. The video was shot at Lahaul-Spiti, last week.'' 

''Snow leopards are the big cats that can't roar. Their paws are specially designed for the hills and slopes. Powerful, agile, secretive & beautiful,'' he added.

Snow leopards are the big cats which can't roar. Their paws are specially designed for the hills and slopes. Powerful, agile, secretive & beautiful. pic.twitter.com/6nP38GNOk8

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) March 6, 2023

Internet users were left mesmerized to see the beautiful clip. One user wrote, ''Wow! Can't imagine the hard work that would have gone into capturing this amazing video. So heartening.'' Another user wrote, ''It is hard to see one of these elusive animals. It is a delight to watch a family of three.'' 

“That is some camera work and peak patience. Awesome,” wrote a third. A fourth added, ''Cutest and the most beautiful wild cat. Thanks for sharing.''

According to the WWF website, snow leopards are thinly spread across 12 countries in central Asia, and it's at home in high, rugged mountain landscapes.  In India, snow leopards are mostly found in the high-altitude, mountainous terrains of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Snow leopards are solitary creatures, and skillful predators, able to kill prey up to three times their own weight in challenging terrain.

They are rare species of wildlife that are highly threatened due to poaching for their skin, bones, and other body parts.