"The snow leopard's kill is three days old and all but eaten." "Even so, it struggles to save the last of its precious meat." "The snow leopard is the top predator in a spare and unforgiving land" "It drags what was once a bharal." "Both snow leopard and bharal live in the world's greatest mountains, the Himalaya." "Predator and prey endure at the vertical limit of mammalian life on Earth." "Here, only rock is in abundance." "Every Himalayan life is precarious." "Sixteen thousand feet up, a lung full of air contains only half the oxygen of a breath taken at sea level." "At any time of year, the temperature can plummet far below freezing." "And the wind never stops" "Despite the cold, the sun burns fiercely through the thin atmosphere." "Despite permanent ice on the peaks, water is scarce." "The Rumbak valley in India's Hemis National Park is usually only dusted by snow." "It lies under the greatest rain shadow on earth." "Clouds from the south dump all their moisture as they collide with the mountains." "The air that reaches Rumbak is dry and cold." "The snow leopard hates to share its kill." "The cat hunts alone in the twilight and at night." "Only very rarely does it reveal itself to its prey or to humans." "Stealth and mystery are its greatest weapons." "Even for the snow leopard, a healthy bharal is no easy kill." "Bharal are at home on the shear cliffs where a predator in pursuit of prey risks plummeting to its own death" "Bharal are one of six different Himalayan species of mountain sheep and goat." "They graze all over the mountains, but the key events in their lives happen in this vertical landscape." "To extract maximum oxygen from the thin air," "Bharal blood is rich in red cells." "Short legs reduce heat loss and lower the centre of gravity." "Bharal hooves are soft and rubbery for grip." "Its gut generates heat as it digests." "Hollow hair fibres retain that heat." "The bharal's top coat is perfect camouflage." "Like the Bharal, the snow leopard is a specialist mountaineer." "It too has short legs." "It's ears and testicles are drawn deep into its multi-layered fur coat." "In extreme cold, it will wrap itself in its lush tail." "December in Rumbak valley is the time of the Bharal rut." "For most of the year mature males live apart from the main herd." "Now they follow the scent of females who are almost ready to breed." "For two weeks, mating will be the bharals' obsession." "Female bharal are half the weight of large males." "They come into season only four weeks after weaning this year's infants." "Penis mouthing is both threat and promise." "Size is important to Bharal." "Not just penises, but horns and body mass." "Males move quickly from display to direct contest." "A winner shows his dominance by mounting the loser." "A younger male submits by rubbing his face under the big male's tail." "During the rut, males study female urine." "Taste and smell tell him when she's ready to mate." "The dominant male posture for a female he detects is ready." "Pursuit begins." "Females always run from their suitors." "More nimble, they head for the cliffs." "It takes a large and skilful male to trap a female on his own." "By forcing potential mates to pursue her, the female usually ensures her offspring are sired by the biggest, strongest animals." "Soon the whole herd occupies the rutting cliffs." "Even if they failed to establish dominance, males still try to mate." "But to pass on their genes, they must fight dangerous battles." "A lone female is pursued by a group of males." "No one male takes control." "And none will back down." "On another part of the cliff, the dominant male goes unchallenged." "For his partner, courting is exhausting but safe." "Success at last." "The big male will mate with the female many times over the next two days." "He will threaten and fight off any competition." "Four hours on, the brawl over the lone female continues." "During the rut, Bharal take huge risks." "They neglect to eat and drink." "Mating leaves the herd exhausted and some injured." "The rut provides an opportunity for the snow leopard just when it needs it." "Prey has become scarce with small animals in hibernation for the winter." "The snow leopard breeding season in January requires adults to hunt less while they search for mates." "Tired and crippled Bharal will nourish the cat over this difficult time." "Higher up the valley, a young Tibetan wolf has been driven from the pack into which he was born." "He comes upon a pack of three." "Lacking the individual power of big cats, wolves must work together to kill larger prey." "The lone wolf is desperate to join a pack." "Very carefully, the outsider introduces himself." "A pack that can kill large prey with three has no need of a fourth mouth to feed." "But the young wolf will continue to shadow the pack." "In the vast Himalaya, it could be many hungry weeks before he finds another that might aspect him" "Humans have lived in Rumbak for hundreds of years." "The Himalaya is an intersection of great cultures and nations." "It's a terrible place to farm." "Especially in winter, families depend on the milk and meat of domestic animals." "Their dung is essential fuel." "The farmers' Bhuddist code demands they don't kill wild animals." "But that belief is sorely tested." "Domestic stocks are an easy opportunity for predators." "High above, the wolf pack has killed a mule." "They make the most of the carcass." "It may be many days and miles before the pack kills again." "Feeding, the packs' strict hierarchy is clear." "The dominant wolf shows its status by raising its tail." "The others submit by rolling on their backs." "The lone wolf can only watch." "Like the magpie, he is a scavenger." "Well fed, the pack leaves." "The young wolf waits until they are far away." "Movement of animals between packs is essential to prevent inbreeding, but for individuals it's traumatic." "The outsider is justifiably wary." "If the pack finds him on the carcass, he may be killed." "The young wolf could survive on small prey and scraps." "But he will never breed unless he joins a pack." "He will never stop trying." "A Bearded Vulture waits for the lone wolf to leave." "First to the kill are yellow billed choughs." "The Bearded vulture is in no hurry." "It will circle the carcass many times to ensure the wolf is long gone." "With a wing span over 9 feet there's no quick getaway." "In the Himalaya, many species of bird scavenge meat." "But the bearded vulture has an advantage over all its competitors." "It eats bone." "While it will sometimes take flesh, it prefers the shards scattered by the wolves." "To digest its hard diet, the bird's gut is highly acidic." "It can swallow bones up to 10 inches long." "Late winter." "The streams begin to thaw." "Insect larvae have survived beneath the ice where only the Dipper is tough enough to hunt them." "It has extraordinary strong toes to hold itself against the current." "Air trapped beneath its plumage protects the bird against the cold." "In spring, people plant barley and peas." "They get a single crop each year from the small parts of the valley floor they can irrigate by diverting streams." "The crop will be just enough for each family to feed itself and its animals through winter." "As the days lengthen, many animals climb." "The upper slopes are no longer barren." "Bharal devour the first green grazing of the year." "The females are two thirds of the way through their pregnancies." "Straight after the rut, the older male Bharal left the females and young to form separate herds." "Female Bharal have their own hierarchies." "Dominant females get right of way on the cliffs and better access to food." "More plentiful grazing means they now have the energy to fight." "And sometimes, even to play." "On the slopes above, the male bharal herd faces colder weather." "They test each other in preparation for the next rut." "But spring battles are less serious than contests to come." "The male herd grazes on the tough, less nutritious plants that grow in the upper valley." "The split from the main herd ensures large males don't compete with pregnant females for the best food." "This spring, a male wolf lingers in the upper reaches of Rumbak valley." "Wolves prefer to hunt in the open where they can wear down their prey over a long chase." "The wolf would struggle to bring down an adult Bharal male on his own." "But the female and young bharal herd across the valley is a good prospect." "For the wolf, there is no point following the bharal onto the cliffs." "He lacks the agility to kill there." "In the Himalaya, a large proportion of the land is straight up and down." "Whenever threatened, bharal flee to this vertical world." "But here, the snow leopard is just as agile as its prey." "A female wolf waited while her mate tested the bharal herd." "Usually they would hunt together." "But the female rests often." "She is wary and seldom moves from a small territory." "Her teats are extended." "She has priorities other than hunting." "Her seven pups were born blind and helpless." "Now they're five weeks old, they spend most of the day outside the hole in the ground which is their den." "Wolf pup games help build the strength and co-ordination they will require for hunting." "And contests teach the pups how to win and lose the fights which establish pack hierarchy." "While the pups are out in the open, the male wolf guards the den." "He knows the attraction of his pups to eagles or even other wolves." "He patrols a territory with the den at its centre." "He scents marks continually." "Each morning and evening, the wolf proclaims his domain." "The den is above the grazing range of the wolfs favoured prey" "Once the Tibetan Argali was a major source of food for the wolf packs." "Hunting by humans has reduced the Argali population to a few remnant herds." "Unlike Bharal, Argali never escape to the cliffs." "Their long legs make them poor climbers but fast runners." "The Argali is the largest sheep in the world." "This male's skull and horns weigh more than 40 pounds." "As much as for meat, they have been shot for their trophy heads." "Humans not only hunt wild animals, they also take their food." "In the warmer months, farmers bring their flocks to graze on the high pastures" "A domestic goat is irresistible to a predator" "The wolf family is always hungry." "The male wolf doesn't even waste the skin from an old kill." "He hunts for a family of nine." "To ration its consumption, he stashess the remains of a goat well away from the pups." "Outside protected areas like Rumbak, the contest between wolves and people most often results in the slaughter of pups." "The pups first tried meat two weeks ago." "They've developed voracious appetites." "But they're still too small to rip meat away from bone." "The male won't feed the pups close to the den." "Scraps attract vermin and disease." "By licking at their father's mouth, the pups forces him to deliver." "Like wolves, golden eagles bred in the early spring so that they can raise their young when it is warmer and prey more plentiful." "The eagle chicks are three days old." "They hatched a day apart." "But already the oldest is clearly in charge." "The golden eagle sledom drinks." "It gets moisture from flesh." "Unlike mammals, birds don't suffer at high altitude." "Their more efficient lungs cope easily with the thin air." "The adult feeds the dominant chick until it can eat no more." "Only then will it feed its sibling." "Usually, the younger chick dies from hunger and harassment by its elder." "But so far this spring, prey is plentiful and both chicks get enough." "Golden Eagles have nested on this ledge for more than one hundred years." "Perhaps one reason golden eagles have kept coming to this place is it's proximity to a rich food source." "Himalayan marmots' emerged three weeks ago from a six-month hibernation." "Marmots are fast breeding rodents." "In the warmer half of the year, they're an important source of food for Himalayan carnivores- including snow leopards and wolves." "Marmot burrows honeycomb a sunny slope." "Their diggings and droppings encourage grass growth." "Despite the risk from predators, they spend most of their days above ground." "Marmots must pack a year's eating into half that time." "In the first few weeks of spring, marmots breed." "They mate underground where it's safer, but hierarchies are established in contests outside the burrows." "Marmot battles can be serious, but this match is as much ritual as fight." "An eagle can spot a marmot more than a mile away." "Defenceless alone, marmots have a group warning system." "The marmots waste no time in getting back out on the grass." "The death of one ensures the temporary safety of the colony." "A cliff-side nest is without shade all afternoon the air is a few degrees above freezing, but direct sunlight can heat a rock or an eagle chick to more than a hundred degrees." "With only thin down to protect them, the eagle chicks could easily die." "Fortunately, an adult eagle can easily provide shade." "The wolf family stays at the den only as long as it must." "Settled, they are most at risk from people." "The pups are now seven weeks old." "Their mother will not suckle them for much longer." "With the promise of milk, she entices her brood away from the den for the last time." "The male will lead his family many miles before he allows them to rest." "The pups' endless roaming across the Himalaya has begun." "It's likely that only a few will survive even there first winter." "Summer the bounty will last eight short weeks." "The valley floors are irrigated by snowmelt off the peaks." "But steeper slopes remain dry." "New growth must cope with burning sun and freezing nights." "Astragalus' fur acts as insulation in both extremes." "Pods are a green house around tender new seeds." "Other plants hug the rocks to stay out of the chilling, drying wind." "For Bharal these are the months of plenty." "They convert summer growth into fat." "They shed old winter coats and begin growing new ones." "As snow and ice retreat higher up the peaks, female Bharal leave the herd." "They seek the caves and crevices of the most difficult terrain of the valley." "They are about to give birth." "The snow leopard shares the bharals' time of plenty." "Lone pregnant females and defenceless infants are the easiest killing of the year." "In the meadows below, there's the chance of fresh food for another ferocious predator." "The tiny Himalayan weasel." "In a treeless place all birds nest on the ground." "Horned Lark chicks merge with the new grass of the meadows." "The horned lark is a summer migrant from lower altitude." "It feeds on insects that appear during the few weeks of warmth." "Wary of attracting predators, the adult male stops only long enough to shovel in food and clear away the infants' faecal sacks." "Far above and far safer, the golden Eagle chicks are now seven weeks old." "That both chicks are still alive is testament to the bounty of the marmot colony and the hunting skills of the adults." "The chicks are now large enough to be safe from heat and cold." "The parents' visits to the crowded nest are brief." "The chicks are still six weeks away from flying" "Each chick now eat almost as much as an adult." "Conveniently, a new source of food is now available." "Amongst the carnage of the nest, are the tiny hooves of a new-born Bharal." "Two days after birth, bharal kids and their mothers rejoin the herd." "On the open slopes, infants form nursery groups." "Kids demand milk." "In lean years infants may be kicked away after a few seconds feeding." "This year mothers let their young suckle often and long - a sign that food is plentiful." "If they are to survive," "Bharal kids must quickly learn to be at home on the cliffs." "Bharal mothers climb with their young." "Twins are rare." "Females invest all their energies in a single kid." "Like marmots, bharal infants are hunted from every quarter." "They have only the vigilance of their mothers for protection." "Mothers always place themselves between their offspring and the drop." "The infant mother bond will remain strong even after the kids are weaned at five months." "By then, it will be freezing cold." "Food will be scarce." "Despite the best efforts of their mothers, half the kids die in their first year." "Autumn the bloom is a distant memory." "Bharal have begun to burn summer fat." "Tough times too for the snow leopard." "Marmots are in hibernation under frozen ground." "Bharal are yet to exhaust themselves at the rut." "Cold feeds the cat's hunger." "In autumn, most alpine plants disappear from the surface." "Bharal must burn precious energy digging for roots." "Near the end of the day, an adult female moves closer to the cliffs for safety." "She is sick or exhausted." "The snow leopard killed the young female just before dawn." "The rest of the bharal group have flared far up the valley." "The cat starts on liver and kidneys, the richest and most easily consumable part of its prey." "Within hours, the smell of blood attracts a Red Fox." "Magpie and Fox know the cat has killed far more than it can eat at one sitting." "The morning sun finds the snow leopard too full to eat and two thirds of the carcass still remaining." "Snow leopards are seldom so exposed in daylight." "In direct sun, they quickly overheat beneath their fur." "The cat's instinct is to climb into the crags above the kill and digest." "It's the moment the magpies have been waiting for." "The Bearded vulture won't land with the snow leopard anywhere near the carcass but its presence is a flag to other scavengers." "The snow leopard is torn between protecting its kill and the cool, concealing shadows above." "Eventually the instinct to climb wins out." "The snow leopard is been gone for only ten minutes." "The scavengers take there chance." "After just half an hour the Snow Leopard is forced to return" "The bharal is still too heavy to shift." "The Snow Leopard's only option is to stay and eat." "Three days after it died, the bharal carcass can be dragged." "The snow leopard begins the exhausting haul to save the last of its precious meat." "The Himalaya presents no easy opportunities to the animals that breathe its thin air." "Soon the Bharal males will once again have to posture and fight in order to mate." "In these mountains every step of every day is a struggle, only the tough and the lucky endure." "Tonight, the snow leopard will finish its kill." "Then it will disappear into the shadows - its mystery preserved until the chance comes to kill again."