Suryawanshi, K.: The Ghost of the Mountains

Unraveling the Secrets of the Snow Leopard

A vivid account of a world-leading conservationist’s efforts to find, study, and protect snow leopards, revealing the challenges facing a beautiful, fragile world in the midst of a major transition

Snow leopards hold a special place in the human imagination, symbolizing the mysteries that still exist on our planet. These elusive predators lead solitary lives in the highest reaches of the Himalayas, moving along rock faces like smoke. They are also the flagship species of Himalayan conservation, key to efforts to preserve this austere, delicate ecosystem.

Kulbhushansingh Suryawanshi (or Kullu, as he is widely known) is one of the world’s leading snow leopard scientists. In *The Ghost of the Mountains*, he offers an evocative and personal account of his decades of work in this field, from his exhilarating adventures on the high peaks to his efforts to build a community-based, collaborative model for protecting the snow leopards and their remaining habitat. That habitat is increasingly under threat as encroaching development, ongoing armed conflict, and rapidly intensifying climate change transform this region.

Thrilling, illuminating, and filled with captivating storytelling, this is an important work from a gifted new voice. Kullu brings deep scientific and cultural knowledge to his portrayal of this idyllic, remote region. As he describes his work as a conservationist in a rapidly changing world, he conveys an infectious sense of wonder. For Kullu, every encounter with a snow leopard remains a transcendent experience, offering a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.