© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Snow leopards, also known as Ghosts of the Mountains, are considered among the most elusive animals in the world. That they are endemic to the rugged and inhospitable terrain of snowy mountains in central Asia and have a shy disposition makes them very rare to spot.
Very few wildlife photographers are able to capture shots of snow leopards and US-based Kittiya Pawlowski is one of them. Pawlowski’s pictures, which were first shared on her social media accounts, have gone viral with publications like Animal Planet and government organisations, such as the Embassy of Nepal, resharing them.
Pawlowski’s photos capture the snow leopard against the stark white and snow-covered landscape of Nepal. Her pictures have a mythical quality which make them special.
In her Instagram posts, the award-winning photographer details her journey across the remote areas of Nepal. In her post, she mentions that she undertook a long journey of over 165 km on foot to reach Khumbu Valley in an attempt to photograph the big cat.
“After walking through Earth’s most forbidding terrain, lung-starving altitudes, soaring peaks, and high deserts—this was the most difficult and rewarding set of photos I’ve ever taken,” she wrote in the caption of one of her pictures.
Commenting on her awe-inspiring clicks, a Twitter user wrote, “Absolutely breathtaking! You’re still the best I’ve seen. You captured how magnificent are those mountains and I’m just in awe. You’re amazing!”. Another person said, “It’s my phone’s home screen now, replaced my beloved dog’s pic haha. Never seen such a gorgeous shot before, ever. Congrats! and thank you for sharing this!”.
