In 2004 a team from the BBC's Planet Earth series filmed the first intimate images of a snow leopard, high in the mountains of Northern Pakistan. The experience marked the beginning of a love affair with the snow leopard for Nisar Malik, a Pakistani journalist more at home covering the conflicts in Afghanistan than tracking wildlife. To help him he enlists the help of wildlife cameraman Mark Smith and together they set out to lift the veil on this most enigmatic of animals.

Their combined expertise allows them to gain unique insight into the day to day life of a snow leopard, but as they build a valuable visual record of this elusive cat Nisar and Mark become involved in a far more interesting side of the snow leopards endangered future. Set in the wilds of the Hindu Kush, this film profiles a much misunderstood part of the world, and is the first film to go beyond the myth, and tell the snow leopards real story.

Together they return to Chitral in the Hindu Kush of Northern Pakistan, determined to find out more about the leopard which captured their hearts. Chitral is one of the last remaining strongholds of the snow leopard. There are thought to be between 4000-7000 of these cats left in the wild, though only a handful remain in the area around Chitral. So little is known about this animal, that Nisar and Mark are dependant on rumours from the local community to track any signs. The cats are thought to be drawn here by the relative abundance of prey, including the rare and endemic flare horned Markhor, which descend to the lower valleys in the winter. The team decide to spend Christmas away from home in Chitral Gol National Park to give them the best chance of a sighting.

Hampered by the heavy snows of winter, they fall back on Nisar's extensive contacts and knowledge of the area- his investigative skills prove to be invaluable as a sighting unbelievably leads them to their first glimpse of the leopard since returning.

The following weeks see the team build an unprecedented record of snow leopard, a visual record of hitherto unseen behaviours. But Nisar's joy at the apparent success of their mission is tempered by continuing reports of conflict between his cat and the nearby villages- His meetings with the local villagers uncover some uncomfortable and potentially disastrous reality. But before the team can complete their unique picture of the snow leopard, a disaster occurs which halts filming and shows how fragile all life can be in this vertiginous terrain.

Nisar and Mark's fascination with the snow leopards sees them return in summer to continue their quest. Unlike winter, when the heavy snows force the leopard into the lower valleys, the team are forced to enter into the leopard's world, and head up to the high pastures in search of the cats summer residence. For Nisar it is a chance to show the world that Pakistan has more to offer than its reputation amongst the headlines of terror. For Mark it is a gamble into the unknown. The ensuing expedition takes it toll, physically and mentally, for both Mark and Nisar.

Their return the following winter is marked by the magnificent rut behaviour of the Markhor, in which the giant males battle it out on near vertical slopes. To their surprise, Mark and Nisar are not the only ones to come here in search of snow leopards this year, and the ensuing revelations change the face of their quest irreversibly. It soon becomes apparent that Nisar and Mark are involved in something far more important than a simple wildlife film.

Snow Leopards: Beyond the Myth will be on January 4th 2008 on BBC2 at 8pm as part of the Natural World series, to be repeated on the following Sunday 6th January also on BBC2.

For further snow leopard information from www.snowleopard.org