A photo of a snow leopard has gone viral on social media – as nobody can spot it.
Snow leopards, known for their fur and elusive behavior, are a large species of cat that are native to the mountain range of Central and South Asia.
They’re listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List, which documents threatened species – it is estimated around 2,710 to 3,386 mature individuals are left.
Sadly, the snow leopard is largely threatened by poaching and habitat destruction.
So capturing such a rare creature on camera is quite the achievement… except, barely anybody actually can see it.
People took to social media to share their reactions to the mind-boggling photo.
One person admitted, “I’m losing my mind over this.”
Another joked, “They’re about to put me in a straightjacket because I’ve completely lost it trying to find this snow leopard!”
“I’ve been staring at this incredible picture for four minutes and still don’t see a leopard,” confessed a third.
Someone else commented, “I swear it wasn’t there until someone pointed it out. Absolutely was not there. Lol.”
A fifth person shared, “The first time I looked, I didn’t see it—but then I found it.”
Meanwhile, some (smug) users claimed it was easy to spot. “Literally the first thing I saw,” one remarked.
Another agreed, “Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.”
“What do you mean? He’s literally looking right at us,” pointed out a third.
A fourth said, “Found it in two seconds.”
“I found it. So cleverly camouflaged,” added another.
The stunning photo was taken by nature, wildlife, and travel photographer Saurabh Desai, who boasts over 160,000 followers on Instagram.
Sharing the snow leopard image along with several others, Desai captioned it: “These snow leopard images are reaching miles, and I am glad people are having fun finding the snow leopard in this image…”
Some believe the difficulty in spotting the elusive big cat stems from the common misconception that snow leopards are pure white.
According to the WWF, snow leopards have a “thick white-gray coat spotted with large black rosettes,” allowing them to blend seamlessly into the steep, rocky landscapes of Asia’s high mountains.
This natural camouflage has earned the magnificent creature the nickname “ghost of the mountains.”
So, where is the elusive snow leopard in Desai’s photo?
Well, you need to look just off the center of the image and beneath the patch of snow – the striking creature is looking right at the camera.
Can you see it now?
For those who have found the snow leopard – don’t be overconfident. Many spot the creature and lose it once again.
