The Ghosts of The Mountains: Unraveling The Secrets of The Snow Leopard, Surywanshi - B

         This is the story of a recent study of the elusive cat that lives high in the Himalayas. The landscape at those elevations is snow, rock, and glaciers. The cat has perfect camouflage that allows it to disappear in the snow and rocks. It is the only large carnivore that lives exclusively at those altitudes. It has a long tail that helps it balance itself, and is capable of wrapping around the animal for warmth. Its paws have the same effect as snowshoes. The primary prey of the leopard is the blue sheep. Scientists from India studied the interaction of prey, predator and local livestock.The conclusion was that increasing the number of herbivore prey would enhance the sustainability of the snow leopard population, which is estimated at a few thousand. The precarious life of the leopard is threatened by climate change and human development, such as mining and road construction. Whether this extraordinary animal survives depends on the consequences of the two preceding human activities.