Video of “Beautiful and Rare Animal” in Ladakh Goes Viral, Internet Intrigued

A video of a rare animal is gaining popularity on social media. Posted by Indian Forest Officer (IFS) Parveen Kaswan on twitter, the clip shows a stocky feline creature with pointy ears. According to Mr Kaswan’s tweet, the video was shot in Ladakh. He also asked Twitter users to guess the name of the species. The short clip, which was posted around midnight, has been viewed and liked hundreds of thousands of times by more than 5,700 users.

”A beautiful and rare animal found in India. In the Ladakh region. Not many have heard of it. Guess what,” Mr Kaswan said in his tweet.

A beautiful and rare animal found in India. In the Ladakh region. Not many have heard of it. Guess. Through @fatima_sherine. pic.twitter.com/dCqnawVsrs

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 28, 2023

The accompanying clip shows dogs barking at the strange creature as it roams a town in Ladakh. Unperturbed, the animal finally sits comfortably on a wall.

The video is credited to Sherine Fatima, whose Twitter bio says she is the first singer of the Balti community in Ladakh.

Mr. Kaswan’s tweet set off a guessing game. Some users said it looks like a Puma or Cougar. Others said it is a Himalayan Lynx, which is on the verge of extinction.

“Lynx… it’s beautiful,” said one user. ”Didn’t know that Lynx also occurs in India. Thanks for sharing,” another commented.

Others called it majestic and shared stories of their own encounters with the animal.

According to National Geographic, lynxes are medium-sized, solitary wild cats that roam the forests of North America, Europe and Asia.

It added that the name comes from a Greek word meaning “rays” because of their reflective eyes. Their defining features are the prominent tufts of hair above their ears and their short, stubby tails, according to National Geographic.

There are four types of lynx – Eurasian, Iberian, Canda lynx and bobcats (lynx rufus).

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