A majestic, elusive big cat is as loved and threatened by humans as its life is entwined with theirs in the nonfiction narrative The Ghost of the Mountains: Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard by conservationist and snow leopard biologist Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi. Suryawanshi details 20 years of a journey that continually teaches him that even with observation, research, and radio collars, "snow leopards [are] like the mountains they inhabit--there is something forever unknowable about them."
Suryawanshi was drawn to climbing and mountaineering from a young age, and when he proposed his master's degree research project, he knew he wanted to focus on snow leopards in the Himalayas. A faculty member warned him that a student from the hot climate of Maharashtra heading up to a wintry elevation to study an animal nicknamed "the ghost of the mountains" for its seemingly supernatural gift of concealment would prove a tough sell. Suryawanshi cleverly proposed instead that he would study the blue sheep, another Himalayan denizen, which happens to be the snow leopard's preferred prey species. So began a career examining the snow leopard directly and indirectly, through the landscape, species, and people of its homeland.
Readers who want to learn more about the cat itself will find plenty of knowledge here about its habits, including stories of specimens Suryawanshi has followed through the years. His enthusiasm for his subject shines as he lionizes their beauty while explaining how their coat patterns give them the power of invisibility among the mountain rocks and cliffs. Researchers must rely on technology and luck to lay eyes on snow leopards, and Suryawanshi celebrates every sighting for the small miracle it is. He details the lifestyle of the villagers whose livestock face threats from these predators and explores how their attitudes toward the leopard can shape its survival. Climate change, commercial ventures, and politics also impact the animal's habitat and future, and Suryawanshi presents these issues with a sober though hopeful outlook.
Elements of travelogue, mystery, and scientific narrative combine here as Suryawanshi beautifully articulates the charm and singularity of this near-mystical animal, offers portraits of the people who are committed to protecting it, and shines a light on the work required to safeguard this iconic species. Readers wary of dry science should instead expect to find outdoor adventure, moments of danger, and plenty of magical and adorable snow leopard encounters. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads
Shelf Talker: A snow leopard biologist and conservationist details 20 years of danger, camaraderie, and wonder experienced while studying one of the planet's most elusive big cats.