A video of an uncommon creature shared by forest officer Parveen Kaswan started a guessing game on Twitter.
A video of a rare animal is gaining traction on social media. Posted by Indian Forest Officer (IFS) Parveen Kaswan on twitter, the clip shows a stocky cat-like creature with peaked ears. According Mr Kaswan’s tweet, the video was shot in Ladakh. He has also asked Twitter users to guess the name of the species. The short clip, posted around midnight, has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and liked by more than 5,700 users.
”An exquisite and uncommon animal found in India. In Ladakh region. Not many have heard about it. Guess what,” Mr Kaswan said in his tweet.
A beautiful and rare animal found in India. In Ladakh region. Not many have heard about it. Guess what. Via @fatima_sherine. pic.twitter.com/dCqnawVsrs
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) February 28, 2023
The accompanying clip shows dogs barking at the unusual creature as it roams around a town in Ladakh. Unfazed, the animal eventually sits on a wall comfortably.
The video has been credited to Sherine Fatima, whose Twitter bio states that she is the first female singer of the Balti community in Ladakh.
Mr. Kaswan’s tweet sparked a guessing game. Some users suggested that it looks like a Puma or Cougar, while others speculated that it could be a Himalayan Lynx, a species that is on the verge of extinction.
”Lynx… it’s beautiful,” said one user. ”I didn’t know that Lynx is also found in India. Thanks for sharing,” commented another.
Others described it as majestic and shared their own stories of close encounters with the animal.
According to National Geographic, lynxes are medium-sized, solitary wildcats that inhabit the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia.
National Geographic also states that the name “lynx” comes from a Greek word that means ”to shine” because of their reflective eyes. Their distinguishing features are the prominent tufts of hair above their ears and their short, stubby tails.
There are four species of lynx – Eurasian, Iberian, Canada lynx, and bobcats (lynx rufus).
Rewritten Source: https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/video-of-beautiful-and-rare-animal-in-ladakh-goes-viral-internet-intrigued-3824222