Can you spot the snow leopard hiding in plain sight? It is impossible to miss but how long does it take you to find?
A PHOTOGRAPH shows just how good at camouflaging the snow leopard is - with the big cat seamlessly blending in with its surroundings.
Australian photographer Bobby-Jo Vial spent three days following the leopard through Kibber National Park, snapping a number of photos along the way - check out the one below and see if you can spot the big cat.
Wildlife photographer Bobby-Jo, shared her photos of the snow leopard to Facebook, with commenters quick to remark how hidden the animal was.
Snow leopards are certainly masters at camouflage, with the saying:
“Their long fur and less distinctive markings that seem to change shape with body movement make identifying individual snow leopards difficult compared to other big cats like tigers, leopards and jaguars, which have more distinctive markings.”
The big cat is currently considered to be a vulnerable species, with the WWF estimating that there could be as few as 4,000 leopards in the wild. The exact number remains unknown as they are a rather elusive animal.
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The main threats currently faced by snow leopards are habitat loss, climate change, loss of prey, and illegal poaching.
Snow leopards can currently be found in 12 central Asian countries, including India, Nepal, Tibet and China.
They are the top predator in their habitats with their prey including mountain sheep and goats.
Despite their name, the snow leopard is actually more closely related to the tiger than it is the leopard.
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Not long after the picture was taken, Bobby-Jo announced some sad news: “A few days after we left Kibber we received news that the old male snow leopard had fallen to his death chasing an Ibex down the side of the gorge.”
So, could you find the snow leopard hidden in the mountains? We certainly struggled, how long did it take you?
