WILD SPITI The Ghost Of The Snow Award Winning Snow Leopard Documentary
Story behind the film: It all began as a still photography expedition, a much needed break from my ‘job’ as a commercial filmmaker. It took 3 days of traveling by flight and driving through precariously narrow Himalayan roads to reach Kibber from Mumbai.Feb 27th 2020 was my first day in the field. I had never walked through shin-deep snow before, let alone walking and slipping down icy waterfalls. There were sightings of a mother Snow Leopard with three cubs but she was long gone when I arrived. On Feb 28th, I saw my very first Snow Leopard in the wild; he was in hunting mode. Moments later, he cartwheeled to the bottom with a large Ibex. I switched from stills and filmed as much of the cat’s behaviour as I possibly could, not knowing how and where I would use the footage. 4 days later, the Snow Leopard was forced to abandon the carcass as it froze solid in the stream it plunged into. I witnessed another hunting attempt; this time, he failed. Nightfall came by and my journey had ended.On my return home, the villagers told me about yet another hunting attempt. Driven by starvation, the old cat miscalculated his footing and fell to his death. Moved by the tragic news, I revisited my footage and was compelled to tell the story survival of this incredible Snow Leopard and the many challenges the species faces, every single day.This film was never intended to be, it was born from extraordinary experiences and has urged me to dedicate my life to continue telling stories of our natural world with the hope of re-humanizing people and preserving it
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