The Ghost of the Mountains by Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi review – the secrets of the snow leopard
An Indian mountaineer follows in the footsteps of explorers and conservationists in search of an enigmatic animal When bored, try the following game – I
An Indian mountaineer follows in the footsteps of explorers and conservationists in search of an enigmatic animal When bored, try the following game – I call it “Purr or Roar?”. Take any feline and guess whether it can purr or roar (it cannot do both because purring and roaring require different anatomical structures).
Some candidates are easy: any child knows that lions and tigers roar and that a tabby does not. But between the great cats and our pets are numerous other species, from lynxes to panthers, whose anatomy is not so easy to infer.
A leopard, for instance? Roar (or growl). The discreet, mountain-dwelling snow leopard? Purr. The snow leopard is the protagonist of Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi’s first book, a compelling and intimate look at this elusive mountain specialist. An Indian conservationist and mountaineer, Suryawanshi pursues the creature through the Himalayas and Gobi desert.
This is a gritty and detailed portrait of an often misunderstood and endangered species in an increasingly hostile, crowded and hot environment. Continue reading...
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