Snow Leopard perfectly camouflaged in mountain terrain baffles the internet

 

The "world's most elusive cat" is so perfectly camouflaged in mountainous terrain that it is almost impossible to detect. But among the rocks and snow lies a leopard anxiously waiting to jump.

And once you see it, you'll wonder how you missed it.

The mind-blowing photo was taken high up in the Himalayas in northeast India.

Photographer Saurabh Desai began walking in the Spiti Valley in 2019 on a mission.

"I was on my search for the world's most elusive cat, which is also known as 'Gray Ghost' in the popular local language," he told My Modern Met.

After nearly three years of surveillance, Desai finally managed to capture the brown leopard about five miles from the high-altitude village of Kibber.

And it seems the big cat saw it too, with its piercing eyes staring straight into the camera.

Desai, from Gujarat, was completely "speechless" by the chance encounter.

He said: "The picture shows the snow leopard trying to get off the cliff."

"But observing our presence, he decided to wait until it got really dark and stood there on the edge."

The newly resurfaced image was taken at an altitude of 17,000 feet at approximately -86F.