Watch: Snow leopard hunts prey on icy Himachal cliffs; photographer calls it "best wildlife moment of life"

A rare wildlife moment from Himachal Pradesh is going viral online. A snow leopard, one of the most secretive animals of the Himalayas, was spotted hunting on the icy cliffs of Kibber. A wildlife lover shared the video, and people are amazed by the leopard’s power and focus.

Photographer Andres Novales posted the clip on Instagram, describing it as “the best wildlife moment of my life.” The sighting came right after two days of heavy snow had kept the valley closed. When the skies finally cleared, the snow-covered landscape revealed a breathtaking view, and soon after, the snow leopard appeared.

Focused and silent hunter

Novales spotted the same female snow leopard he had seen a few days earlier. She had left her two cubs at the bottom of a gorge and climbed up alone to hunt. From her high position, she carefully observed a group of grazing ibex.

“Watching her move through the snow was unreal. Slow. Silent. Completely focused,” Novales said. The leopard quietly approached her target and then launched an attack on the largest male ibex.

A dangerous chase

The hunt quickly turned intense. “She went straight for the biggest male. At first, it looked like she might bring him down quickly. But the ibex fought back,” Novales explained. The video shows the snow leopard gripping the ibex as the animal sprinted across the steep, icy slope. Both slipped and tumbled over rocks and snow during the struggle.

“They fell several meters, slamming into the slope just seconds before the edge. One more fall and both could have fallen to a certain death,” Novales added.

In the end, the snow leopard lost her grip. “That split second allowed the ibex to change direction and escape. She chased him briefly, but the hunt was over,” he said.

Witnessing nature up close

The encounter left Novales and his companions visibly shaken. “We stood there shaking, trying to process what we had just witnessed. I’ve seen a lot in the wild, but this moment takes the prize,” he wrote.

Social media users were quick to react. One wrote, “Awesome time! Congratulations, Andres; something like this is never forgotten; this is for life.” Another commented, “How crazy is that?! Wow!!! And well done on capturing the whole scene from start to finish.”
Disclaimer: The video and images in this story are from social media sources. The Times of India has not independently confirmed the sighting.
Thumb image: Instagram