Snow leopard, 2 cubs caught on camera in Himachal's high mountains

Shimla, Jan 20 How often do you see a critically endangered, elusive snow leopard, a flagship species for the high-altitude Himalayas, in nature? Rarely or never for some, believe wildlife experts.

But Assistant Public Relations Officer Ajay Banyal spotted a roaming mother snow leopard with two cubs through the snow just close to Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti that is some 350 km from the state capital Shimla, on Wednesday evening.

He captured the snow leopards, known as the 'ghost of the mountains' that live above the tree line on steep and rocky peaks, in his mobile camera close to the Langcha-Kaza road, just three km away from Kaza, in the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh.

"It was a lucky encounter with the elusive snow leopard," Banyal told over phone from Kaza where he is posted.

"In the past two and a half years of my posting in Kaza, I was trying to spot the snow leopard across the Spiti Valley, a home to the snow leopard, during my assignments. It was a chance encounter last evening when I spotted a snow leopard family while I was travelling in a vehicle," an excited and energetic Banyal said.

He also captured a video clip to raise public awareness and support for snow leopard conservation.

Recent studies by the state forest Department using camera traps have suggested a healthy increase in the population of snow leopards, especially in the Spiti Valley that supports its sufficient prey blue sheep.

The Pin Valley in the Spiti Valley is a national park and is the habitat for rare animals and birds, including the snow leopard.

The national park is some 40 km from the place where Banyal encountered the snow leopards.

Elated over the snow leopards' sighting, 1988-batch IFS officer Ajay Srivastava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests