Optical illusion spots the leopard. Well-camouflaged snow leopards can be almost impossible to spot in their mountainous environment, but can you find the elusive felines in these stunning images?

Ismail Shariff, 41, is a nature photographer specialising in capturing these secretive creatures in their natural environment.

Shariff’s collection of images was taken over the past eight years in the Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, India. His mind-bending photos have earned him the title Snow Leopard Man of India.

Can you spot the snow leopards in the pictures below?

A snow leopard camouflaged among rugged rocks in the Spiti Valley, blending seamlessly with the mountainous terrain.
Can you spot the elusive snow leopard in this image?
A close-up of a snow leopard prowling through a snowy Himalayan slope, showcasing its thick, grey-and-yellow fur.
The global population of snow leopards is estimated at between 3,500 and 7,000, according to the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust.

Snow leopards have thick grey and yellow fur, which makes them difficult to spot in mountainous landscapes.

A pair of snow leopards resting on a rocky ledge in Himachal Pradesh, their spotted coats merging with the surroundings.
How many of the rare mountain creatures can you find in this image?
A hidden snow leopard climbing a steep, arid mountainside in Central Asia, barely visible against the barren landscape.
The snow leopard has thick grey and yellow fur, which helps it blend in with its surroundings.

Mr Shariff said: ‘Seeing them in their natural environment in the world requires a trained eye, but every time I do it, it is like spotting one for the first time’.

He admits that despite his experience, he struggled to spot snow leopards while leading a photographic expedition.

Snow leopards climb the steep mountain slopes of Central Asia, blending in with the landscape. However, they are threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to climate change, human encroachment, retaliatory killing resulting from human-wildlife conflict, reduced prey, and poaching.

Snow leopards live in the high mountains of northern and central Asia, including the Himalayan region.

Ismail Shariff, 41, a nature photographer specialising in capturing snow leopards, took the images.

Majestic cats live in alpine areas in the Himalayas. They inhabit 12 countries worldwide, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia, and Mongolia.

The mysterious ‘ghost cats’ are known for their characteristic meows, grunts and moans. The magnificent creatures purr when they exhale.

Often solitary, leopards hunt in pairs, usually mating pairs. They prey on wild animals such as Himalayan blue sheep, tahr, argali, and wild goats.

However, the beasts are also known to target domestic livestock, which means they can be victims of angry breeders.

Snow leopards are almost impossible for the untrained eye to spot, but once you see them, you can see how good their camouflage is.

Did you find where the Leopards are? Don’t worry. Here’s the solution with the photos circled in red!

There are four snow leopards in the picture.

An elusive snow leopard captured mid-step, camouflaged against a backdrop of snow-dusted boulders in the Himalayas.
It is rare to spot even one of these beautiful creatures.

Here, two big cats can be seen camouflaged against their surroundings.

A rare glimpse of a snow leopard family in the wild, their distinct spots blending with the rugged Himalayan rocks.
Snow leopards easily climb the large, steep slopes of the Central Asian mountains, blending into the landscape.

His photographs were taken over eight years in the Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Did you spot these two felines in the picture above?

A snow leopard leaping gracefully across jagged rocks, perfectly camouflaged against the rugged Himalayan terrain.
Snow leopards face many threats, including habitat loss and degradation due to climate change and human encroachment, retaliatory killing resulting from human-wildlife conflicts, reduced prey and poaching.

There are as many as six snow leopards in this image.

A distant view of a snow leopard perched on a high mountain ledge, blending effortlessly into the vast landscape.
Snow leopards are found in 12 countries, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia and Mongolia.

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