The Ghost of the Mountains

Silent, solitary and beautiful: snow leopards inhabit the cliffs and rugged mountains of central Asia at heights of over 3,000 metres. Thickly furred, with silver-grey pelts, they are so well camouflaged that they vanish into the rocky landscape. For twenty years, scientist and mountaineer Dr Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi– known as Kullu– has studied the snow leopard in the highest reaches of the Himalaya. The snow leopard is the most elusive of cats. With their silver-grey pelts and long tails, they move silently through glaciers, snow, rocks and the icy peaks of their wild, mountainous habitat. Rarely seen, they are often regarded as mythical, but this is an animal that faces extraordinary daily challenges, and whose survival depends on the delicate balance of climate, prey, landscape and local people. Living for months at a time in some of the most difficult-to-reach places on earth, Kullu has pioneered research that shines fresh light on these charismatic and vulnerable animals. His work makes a compelling and urgent case for their conservation. Combining scientific authority, high-altitude fieldwork and powerful storytelling, The Ghost of the Mountains is a gripping exploration into what it takes to save the snow leopard.