The snow leopard lives in the most remote and rugged knots of mountains in the world -- the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush, the Kunluns -- the mountain ranges of Central Asia. The land of the snow leopard is forbidden and forbidding land; it is the land of Shangri-La, of yeti (the abominable snowman), and of the ancient, sacred and otherworldly cultures of Tibet, Nepal and Afghanistan.
If the lion is king of the savanna, then the snow leopard is the king of the highest elevations. Of all the cats, the snow leopard is, perhaps, the most mysterious. It is rarely seen, even by scientists dedicated to its study. The coat of the snow leopard perfectly blends with the rock and snow of its native terrain. In this painting, I have shown this magnificent animal reclining on a rocky ledge -- secure in his sense of kingdom and concealment -- but due to human pressures, not secure in his future.