PLAYFUL SNOW LEOPARD ROLLS DOWN STEEP MOUNTAINS IN RARE SEEN
WITH PIX AND VID
By Shuk Yee Tsang
Checkout this rare wildlife moment that shows a snow leopard sliding down a steep mountain slope.
The footage was captured in Spiti Valley, India by professional wildlife photographer Remi Vacher, 36, originally from France but now based in Dubai, UAE.
In the video, the elusive big cat suddenly commits to the descent and slides down the snowy mountainside, using gravity while adjusting its balance with its long tail.
The 36-year-old shares the behaviour was extremely unusual and something he had never witnessed before.
Remi said the leopard was around 500 metres away when the moment unfolded.
The photographer had spent hours waiting after hearing early that morning that a snow leopard had been spotted resting near a cave high in the mountains.
He explains moments like these are what wildlife photographers live for.
Remi said, “At that distance, you’re fully dependent on your long lens and your ability to anticipate movement.
“My heart was racing. I remember telling myself: stay on it, don’t lose focus, keep tracking.
" Because with snow leopards, everything happens in seconds and then it’s gone.
“In all my time searching for snow leopards, this was the first time I had ever seen one move like that.
“They are usually very controlled in their movements, walking along ridgelines or sitting still for long periods.
“We waited for hours in the cold hoping she would move.
“Then around 2PM she finally stood up and started walking toward deep snow and that’s when the magic happened.
“As a wildlife photographer, those are the moments you live for when behaviour, landscape and emotion collide for just a few seconds.”
END
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