This new film puts the spotlight on the elusive snow leopards of Spiti

One cat said Ernest Hemingway only leads to another The big man might have an inkling of what Messrs Naresh and Rajesh Bedi felt when they spotted a rare elusive snow leopard It inspired their latest documentary Spirit of the Mountains that unravels the story of the species in Himachal PradeshldquoBy nature they are elusive and shyrdquo Naresh Bedi tells us The 75year old Padma Shriawardee spent five years shooting the film alongside his brother Rajesh Bedi ldquoTo spot them is one thing but to document their movement on camera is another matter entirelyrdquo he tells usThe first sightThe brothers first spotted the snow leopard in Ladakh in 1993 The grace and beauty of the cat inspired them to make a film but funds and commitments led to delays In 2015 they moved to Spiti in Himachal Pradesh which had reported sightings They set up camp in the village of Chicham adjacent to a gorge that was part of the herdrsquos corridorPema with her cub moving away to safety at the slightest disturbanceRecalling the first spotting Bedi says ldquoWe were coming out of the valley and a shepherd shouted lsquoleopardrsquo We didnrsquot really believe him butthen I saw it emergerdquo While the shout scared it away Bedi decided to set camp and wait for its return ldquoMy hands and feet were frozen but I waited with one hand on the tripod trigger I was tired but shaking with excitement Those are the moments you take a chance onrdquoLogistical challengesThe filmmaking process involved more than just steeling against the weather ldquoWe were funding ourselves There was research as wellrdquo Bedi points out adding ldquoYou spend years to study and understand their behaviour To capture a film that showcases their behaviour without having to explain is quite challengingrdquoFrom Left Naresh and Rajesh BediThere are many logistical issues ldquoThe only means of transport were yaksrdquo he says Then come recruiting scouts setting up camera traps and waiting for days on end Occasionally the filmmakers found that their subject had moved on before they arrived ldquoThat is the risk of wildlife filmmakingrdquo he says ldquoYour subjects have a mind of their ownrdquo So what keeps them going we ask ldquoA passion to document something no one else hasrdquo is his simple replyRare footageOne thirty hours of footage is quite precious Even more precious Bedi claims is the first documentation of a snow leopard den ldquoIt was pure chance that one of our trackers found itrdquo the filmmaker admits ldquoIt gives proof of their growthrdquoThe passing of the generational torch forms the crux of the film Spirit of the Mountain Bedi shares ldquoWe have kept it as real as possible without dramatising the story The key moment was the footage of the death of the dominant male Karma When we saw the sequence of his last moment the story clicked into placerdquoWhat the future holdsWhile the Spirit of the mountain is a onehour feature another part of the journey is titled Chasing Shadows ldquoI donrsquot think there has been any other film of such depth to understand one animalrdquo he remarks The former had its premiere in Delhi on April 7 and has already been picked up by National Geographic ChannelIndia as part of their showcase Bedi revealsYet there is concern for the cats Bedi has seen ecotourism grow in the region ldquoThere are special snow leopard winter packages that bring droves of touristsrdquo he says While profitable the desire to spot a snow leopard might adversely affect the species ldquoI am a little concerned about it because it has to be controlled and it might encourage baiting for picturesrdquo he says For now though their spirits roam the mountains in peaceWatch moregtgt The Velvet Queen 2009Log On To tvapplecomgtgt Ghost Of The Mountains 2017Log On To NaturalHistoryDK on YouTubegtgt Leopard In The Land 2015Log On To Amazon Prime Video