The ghost of the mountains
The snow leopard is so hard to spot that people call it a ghost!
Animal of the week
Where does it live?
Snow leopards live high up in cold, rocky mountains. In India, they live in the Himalayas: in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
How many are there?
Scientists in India counted them for the very first time. They used hidden cameras and long walks in the snow. They found about 718 snow leopards. More than half, 477, live in Ladakh!
A snow leopard can’t roar. It makes a soft, puffing sound called a chuff.
Made for the snow
Snowshoe paws
Big, furry paws stop it sinking into the snow.
A scarf tail
Its tail is almost as long as its body. It helps with balance and wraps around its face to keep warm.
Hide-and-seek coat
Gray, spotty fur matches the rocks. This is called camouflage.
Mountain food
It eats wild sheep and goats, like the bharal and the ibex.
Did you know?A snow leopard’s thick tail can be about 1 meter long. That is almost as tall as you!
Big wordcamouflage
Colors or patterns that help an animal hide where it lives.
Colors or patterns that help an animal hide where it lives.
Think about itWhy do you think snow leopards are so hard to count?
For grown-ups: India’s first national snow leopard count (SPAI, released January 2024) estimated 718 snow leopards, 477 of them in Ladakh.