Encounter with Snow Leopards

[Shearer30]

Hi All,

While climbing Stok Kangri Glacier in Ladakh, India, I came across two snow leopards hunting a dzo (part cow part yak). Amazingly, the dzo was full-grown and healthy, weighing over six times that of the leopards.

Recently I made a very short documentary detailing the events (with the extremely rare footage of the leopards included). It can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJxupw-2m4&fmt=18

Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

-Matt

[kozmix]

Well, first of all this is a photography forum, and i don't see anything related to photography on your post.

Anyway, i saw the video, congratulations on your capture, it must have been great. As for the documentary, a bit sensationalist for my taste, but in the wave of tv documentaries.

[jbdavies]

The Discovery Channel capture a Snow Leopard hunting. :)

[Shearer30]

Admittedly, there are a few docs out there with some outstanding footage of leopards hunting in the wild. But in my defense, there was no such footage until very recently, and this is the first evidence that they can take down very large healthy animals.

I contacted my buddy Russ, who was with me, and I'll post some of his pictures of the leopard on the dzo's back.

[jbdavies]

That would be sweet! :D

[AdamJL]

Well, first of all this is a photography forum, and i don't see anything related to photography on your post.

Anyway, i saw the video, congratulations on your capture, it must have been great. As for the documentary, a bit sensationalist for my taste, but in the wave of tv documentaries.

what kind of welcome is that?!

[AdamJL]

That would be sweet! :D

+1! Can't wait to see the pics!

[vkalia]

Hi Shearer, this may be the first video showing them hunting zhos, but the evidence has been there for a while (in the form of dead and injured zhos).

Congrats on a great experience.

I just kicked of a multi-year project on snowies and just got back from Rumbak a few weeks ago - had the same guide as Steve Winter, as it turns out (although he beat me to the punch... grrrr). Anyway, spent 3 weeks with no luck seeing any - although that was normal for this time of the year and I did find a couple of good potential locations for setting up camera traps.

I'd be buying lottery tickets now, were I you :)

Jealous cheers,
Vandit

[Shearer30]

Hey vkalia,

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Really is a crap shoot, isn't it? Almost think a good strategy is being just some idiot bumbling into it out of pure luck ;)

When I meant documented, I meant on film. The herders that we came across had four dzos eaten by leopards in the last two years. But what was strange about this dzo is that it was young and healthy. Was a harsh winter, so the leopards were probably a little desperate.

Just heard from Russ. Hopefully, he'll send me the pics today as soon as he watermarks them.