Video footage of a “ghost” cat offers a rare glimpse of a wild snow leopard up close. A traveler with Natural Habitat Adventures named Tibor Polgar captured the video, which shows a snow leopard leaping from a vertical rock face in the Himalayas.
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Snow leopards’ nickname is the “ghost of the mountains” thanks to these animals’ impressive natural camouflage. “Snow leopards have evolved to live in some of the harshest conditions on Earth,” WWF says. “Their thick white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes blends in perfectly with Asia’s steep and rocky, high mountains.”
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Natural Habitat Adventures shared Polgar’s video to Instagram, called it “truly extraordinary.”
“These elusive big cats are known as ‘ghosts of the mountains’ for good reason—sightings are incredibly rare, and to witness one in the wild is the ultimate wildlife encounter,” the company wrote in its Instagram caption.
Other people share the company’s excitement about the footage.
“What a lucky experience! Wow,” wrote one person in the comments section.
At one point in the video, the “ghost” even locks eyes with the camera. It then gives the camera an eerily direct stare before moving on.
Watch a rare video of a “ghost” cat here:
Header stock image by Luca Romani / 500px/Getty Images
