International Contemporary Portraits (3) Dancing with Ghosts

International Contemporary Portraits (3) ===Dancing with Ghosts=== Ayeyarwaddy Times May 24 There are not many snow leopards in the world. And there are likely not many experts who study and protect them. Dr. Kustub Sharma is one of them. He is the Conservation Director of the Snow Leopard Trust. Snow leopards are called "Ghosts of the Mountains" or "Ghosts of the Himalayas." They earned this ghost moniker due to their silence, agility, and elusive nature. They can inhabit mountains thousands of meters high and are "giant cats" that can camouflage themselves amidst the surrounding snow. One could call them "hidden snow." Dr. Sharma, an Indian national, earned a Master's degree in Physics from Bophal University. However, what is noteworthy is that he obtained his Ph.D. in Zoology specializing in wildlife from Mumbai University. Fascinated by ghosts, Dr. Sharma joined the Snow Leopard Trust in 2007 after graduating from Mumbai University. This is how he became acquainted with the ghosts. Dr. Sharma recounts his first encounter with a snow leopard in his life as follows: "In the Gobi region of Mongolia, we found a dead mountain goat. (Someone) moved forward to collect data. Suddenly, I heard a gust of wind. A snow leopard with a blurred face, appearing from nowhere, materialized before me," he recalled. "He and I were only about 3 feet apart," said Dr. Sharma. The snow leopard stared at him for a few seconds before running off and disappearing. "This brief moment of face-to-face encounter was my first and most cherished experience with snow leopards." In fact, snow leopards are among the most difficult animals to track. "Even if you dedicate your entire life to this work, you will be lucky to see one at most once," said Maria Gritsina, a researcher studying snow leopards in Uzbekistan. Asking "Have you seen a snow leopard? " is like asking "Have you seen a ghost?