Watch: Viral video captures elusive family of three Snow Leopards in Ladakh

Snow leopards are notoriously elusive, and with an estimated 4,080 to 6,590 individuals in the wild in the entire world, spotting one is a rare stroke of luck. That's why a recent video showing not one, but three snow leopards trotting down the rugged terrain of Ladakh, captured by wildlife photographer Morup Namgail, has captivated the internet.

What did the video capture?

Check out the video here:

The video features a snow leopard family in Ladakh, captured by wildlife photographer Morup Namgail and shared on Instagram. The stunning footage reveals the cubs traversing a plateau-like terrain before their mother joins them for a hunt.?

Namgail notes that the video is from last winter, saying, "After a long break, sharing a magical moment from last winter: a mother snow leopard and her two cubs navigating towards their kill."

Reactions to the video ranged from, "These snow leopards are so endangered that one is lucky to see one in a lifetime let alone three," to "That is super special one if not the most magnificent looking animal of the cat family" and "Incredible - rare beyond rare!"

Why is a snow leopard sighting so rare?

Listed as 'Vulnerable' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), snow leopards are known as the 'ghost of the mountains' due to their elusive nature.?

Credit: Canva | Our country is home to around 718 snow leopards in its mountainous states

Apart from their shy behavior, it is also their coat which camouflages against the snowy, rocky terrain that makes them hard to spot.?

In India, snow leopards have been documented not only in Ladakh but also in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), climate change could cause a loss of up to 30% of snow leopard habitat in the Himalayas alone.

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