THE WILD MINUTE
Daily highlight Videos from Mongolia, and the wildlife we encounter.
Snow Leopards and Pallas Cats
Altai & Hangai Mountains, Mongolia
February 24 - March 10, 2026
EPISODES 44 - 50
PART 1. The Altai Mountains… In Search of Snow Leopards
Wild Minute 44. Where Eagles Hunt…
Day one in Mongolia exceeded every expectation.
The landscape is more beautiful than I imagined; vast steppes, distant snow-covered peaks, and silence that feels ancient.
Today we spent time with the Kazakh eagle hunters of the Altai Mountains. These riders demonstrated skills passed down from generation to generation, hunting with golden eagles in one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Watching and filming these traditions was powerful. This isn’t a performance for tourists, it’s a living culture shaped by resilience, partnership with wildlife, and deep respect for the land.
This is only the beginning of our Mongolia snow leopard expedition.
More to come from the Altai Mountains.
Wild Minute 45. Into Snow Leopard Country
Day two of our Mongolia snow leopard expedition begins with a four-hour drive from Ulgii deep into the Altai Mountains.
The landscape transforms before our eyes, endless brown desert, dry trees, distant mountains… and then suddenly, everything turns white. Snow blankets the steppe as we move deeper into true snow leopard country
Wild Minute 46. Fresh Tracks, Nomadic Herdsman & No Cat
Day three of our Mongolia snow leopard expedition. We found fresh snow leopard tracks in the Altai Mountains but no cat. In the afternoon, we met a nomadic herdsman who recently lost a goat to a snow leopard and invited us into his ger for tea. The search continues in one of the most remote wildlife regions on Earth.
Wild Minute 47. The Search Continues…
Day four of our Mongolia snow leopard expedition and the cats were a no show. Tracking in the Altai Mountains requires patience, and this is exactly why we build multiple days into the search. Even without a sighting, the beauty and raw wilderness of Mongolia continue to inspire.
Wild Minute 48. We Found our Cat!
Day five of our Mongolia snow leopard expedition delivered one of the greatest wildlife moments any of us have experienced. After four days of searching and only finding tracks in the snow, we finally found our snow leopard. We spent hours watching and photographing this incredible animal in the Altai Mountains, witnessing behavior that very few people ever get to see in the wild… Patience, tracking, and a little luck finally paid off.
PART 2. The Hangai Mountains… In search of Pallas Cats.
Wild Minute 49. Stranded in the Mongolian Steppe
Travel Day. Today we leave the Altai Mountains and begin the long journey toward the Hangai Mountains in search of Pallas’s cats. The road reminds us quickly that adventure is never smooth. Three flat tires in the middle of the Mongolian wilderness slowed us down, but thanks to Yumchin and his incredible local support network we were back on the road again. Sometimes the bumps in the road are exactly what make the adventure unforgettable.
Wild Minute 50. The Pallas’s Cat Search Begins
Day 1. The Pallas’s cat search begins in the Hangai Mountains of Mongolia. We located two of these elusive cats on our first day, but they proved incredibly skittish and difficult to photograph. Strong sunlight and heat distortion added another challenge. Tracking Pallas’s cats requires patience, persistence, and a bit of luck. This is only the beginning.
Wild Minute Episode 51.
While searching the mountains for Pallas’s cats, we accidentally stumbled upon something far more extraordinary, a snow leopard mother with three cubs. Carefully climbing the rocky slopes, we found a spot where we could see one curious cub revealed itself for nearly an hour. Encounters like this are incredibly rare and remind us why patience and persistence in the wild can lead to unforgettable moments.
Wild Minute Episode 52.
We finally found our Pallas’s cat in the Hangai Mountains of Mongolia. The encounter was short and not quite the hunting sequence we were hoping for, but we captured a few great moments of the elusive cat moving near its den before it disappeared back into its burrow. These cats are incredibly shy, making any encounter special. We finished the day scanning the steppe for foxes and other wildlife.
Wild Minute Episode 53.
Today wasn’t about the animals.
We went out like we always do… hopeful, scanning, searching… but the wildlife just didn’t show itself the way we hoped.
And that’s part of it. That’s the truth of the wild.
But what we did have… was landscape.
Endless space. Changing light. Mountains that feel like they’ve been standing there forever.
The kind of place that reminds you that the world doesn’t exist just for the moments we’re chasing.
Sometimes it just asks you to slow down… and take it in.
Wild Minute Episode 54.
Today gave me something I didn’t expect.
We came across a herd of camels roaming the steppe… and of course I got out of the truck.
They weren’t wild camels…
but in that moment, it didn’t matter.
They moved slowly across the snow-covered ground.
a mix of deep browns and soft blondes… such amazing animals.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded.
No fences. No barriers.
Just me… standing in the middle of a herd, watching them as they watched me.
Wild Minute Episode 55.
Our final day in Mongolia.
We went out one last time… searching for corsac foxes.
We found a den. Signs of life.
A place that should have come alive.
But they never surfaced.
And that’s how it goes sometimes. The wild doesn’t always give you what you’re looking for.
No matter how much you want it.
It was hard to leave.
Not because of what we didn’t see…
but because of everything we did.
The landscapes. The moments. The feeling of being out there.
Mongolia gave us more than enough.
And this isn’t goodbye.
We’ll be back.
Thank you for the magic.
To Read the Full Trip Report… Click Here.