You’ll have the eyes of a hawk if in 5 seconds you can spot the world’s most elusive big cat hiding in this optical illusion

THE “Most Elusive Cat in the World” is so well camouflaged in this optical illusion that it’s almost impossible to spot within five seconds.

But among the rocks and snow lies a leopard, eager to pounce.

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And once you see it, you’ll wonder how you ever missed it.

The stunning optical illusion was captured high in the Himalayas of northeastern India.

Photographer Saurabh Desai started trekking in Spiti Valley in 2019 with a mission.

“I was on a quest to find the world’s most elusive cat, also known as the ‘Grey Ghost’ in the popular vernacular,” he told My Modern Met.

After nearly three years of searching, Desai finally managed to capture the brown leopard about five miles from the perched village of Kibber.

And it seems the big cat saw him too, with those piercing eyes looking straight into the camera.

Desai from Gujarat was left “speechless” by the chance encounter.

He said: “The picture shows the snow leopard trying to come down from the cliff.

“But when it noticed our presence, it decided to wait until it got really dark and stayed there on the edge.”

The re-emerged image was taken at an altitude of 17,000 feet at around -30C.

Oxygen levels had also dropped to less than 50 percent compared to normal.

Social media users were stunned by the photo, with some taking hours just observing the creature.

One said on Reddit, “I’ve seen this picture 643,634 times and I’m always like, ‘Where are you little prick?'”

Another commented, “I honestly can’t see a leopard…damn nature you creepy one.”

And one said on Twitter: “After it’s found… it becomes so obvious and easy to see.”

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