Can you identify the hidden leopard as it readies itself to leap at a group of oblivious sheep?

They are some of the most elusive felines on the planet, and this seemingly ordinary image from Ladakh, India, demonstrates why.

Concealed among the rocky slopes is a Snow Leopard, as lethal as it is stunning.

Wildlife photographer Inger Van Dyke captured this formidable creature silently creeping up on its prey—a herd of blue sheep.

The solitary male leopard is nearly imperceptible, crouching behind rocks and underbrush, while the sheep look in the wrong direction.

Though they appear unaware of the danger, Van Dyke’s photographs reveal that they scatter just as the Snow Leopard springs into action.

India is home to approximately 500 Snow Leopards, but their nomadic, high-altitude lifestyle makes it hard to accurately count them, as noted by WWF India.

Snow Leopards thrive in steep, rugged landscapes filled with rocky outcrops and ravines, ideal for stalking their prey under cover while maintaining a clear view.

They are typically found at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 meters—sometimes even higher—in the Himalayas.

In India, their presence spans the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and into Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.