Emissary of the Gods

Another photo of a snow leopard (mother) from the Toronto Zoo. After she finished grooming her cub, she turned and gave a short gaze toward me before having a short nap.

These animals never fail to give me chills. In their native range, they are held in high esteem. In some areas, like Nepal, some locals believe they are representatives of the mountain gods, and carry out their work. With the mountains, they link earth and sky, the physical and spiritual, the ancient and the new.

Update: Added in BG stock photo of Everest for effect.

Update 2: helped with sharpening and I felt it was an improvement on the previous, blurred version. Way to go, Akeli!

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Snow leopards are found in mountainous central Asia, also called "the roof of the world". They are acclimated for some of the harshest terrain and climate in the world and are extremely elusive. Sadly, snow leopards are not elusive enough to escape the hand of man. They are an endangered species and there may be as few as 3,000 left in the wild with populations decreasing. Individuals are often the victims of revenge killing after taking village livestock, poaching for their bones and skin, prey depletion and habitat loss.

Please visit [link] for more information on snow leopards and how you can help.