Can YOU spot the ‘Grey Ghost’? Stealthy snow leopard is almost invisible as it blends into the background

Snow leopards are known for their agility and great strength that allows them to scale great steep slopes with ease.

But they are also experts at blending effortlessly into their surroundings due to their thick grey and yellow-tinged fur. 

Pictures show snow leopards at Spiti Valley, India, which are almost invisible as they are perfectly camouflaged into the snow-covered mountain setting.

The mind-boggling images of the big cats were taken by wildlife photographer Arkaprava Ghosh, 39, who said: ‘The most challenging part for me was to spot these cats in their habitat.’

Can YOU spot the snow leopards hiding in these images? 

But they are also experts at blending effortlessly into their surroundings due to their thick grey and yellow-tinged fur. One snow leopard is picture blending into the mountain above – can you see it?

Pictures show snow leopards at Spiti Valley, India , which are perfectly camouflaged into the snow-covered mountain setting. One is hiding in this picture – can you find it?

Capturing the snow leopards is no easy feat, their habitat in Spiti Valley, India, is around 4000 meters above sea level and requires a team of trackers.

Mr Ghosh said: ‘I have been photographing nature and wildlife for the last fifteen years or so and it was a dream to photograph the elusive Snow Leopards in their natural habitat.

‘For a long time, so little was known about these shy and solitary animals, that they took on an almost mythical status.

‘Being one of the rarest species of our planet, the Snow Leopards are masters of camouflage and are often called the “Grey Ghost”.

‘The most challenging part for me was to spot these cats in their habitat. The joy and feeling after seeing one in the wild is out of this world.’

Snow leopards scale steep slopes of mountains in Central Asia, blending into the landscape. 

They are under threat from habitat loss and degradation from climate change and human encroachment, retaliatory killings resulting from human-wildlife conflict, reduced prey, and poaching.

They are found across a huge swathe of northern and central Asia’s high mountains, including the Himalayan region. 

In the Himalayas, the majestic cats live in high alpine areas. 

Their habitat are rugged mountain landscapes at heights of over 3,000 metres in 12 countries around the world – including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia, and Mongolia. 

The species is deemed vulnerable by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with around only 4,000 remaining. 

The mind-boggling images of the big cats were taken by wildlife photographer Arkaprava Ghosh, 39, who said: ‘The most challenging part for me was to spot these cats in their habitat.’ He captured one snow leopard in the image above – can you spot it?

Capturing the snow leopards is no easy feat, their habitat in Spiti Valley, India, is around 4000 meters above sea level and requires a team of trackers. Two are pictured on the mountainside above – can you find them?

The stealthy snow leopards can be seen blending into their surroundings, proving that they are the ultimate master of camouflage. Can you see the one hiding in this image?

The images of the snow leopards were captured by Arkaprava Ghosh (pictured), 39, in their habitat in Spiti Valley, India

The mysterious ‘ghost cats’ are known for their distinctive meowing, grunting and moaning. The magnificent creatures purr when they’re exhaling.

Often solitary, the leopards however join forces to hunt in pairs – usually mating pairs. They prey on wild animals like the Himalayan blue sheep, the Himalayan tahr, argali, and wild goats. 

However, the beasts are known to target domestic livestock too, meaning they can themselves fall victim to angry farmers. 

Snow leopards kill prey up to three times their own weight in their challenging terrain. 

Snow leopards are nearly impossible to spot for an untrained eye, but once you do sight them, you can see how good their camouflage really is. 

Here are the answers for anyone who was struggling to find the snow leopard. 

Did you spot all of the snow leopards circled below?

The snow leopard in this picture is resting on the steep mountainside, but its fur makes it almost impossible to tell it apart from its surroundings

The big cat in this image is scaling down the mountain, but is nearly invisible against the mountainside

The snow leopard, which preys on wild animals like goats in the Himalayan mountains, is climbing up the mountain on his search for food

Its thick grey and yellow-tinged fur make it almost impossible to see the snow leopard blending into the stones above

In the image above, two snow leopards are blending into their surroundings as they hunt for prey together

The snow leopard seems to defy gravity as it climbs down the steep slopes in Spiti Valley, India, with ease