Clear Snow Leopard Activity Footage Captured for the First Time in Qinghai Province
Through 3-day introduction by Qinghai Province Qilian Mountains Nature Reserve Association, it was revealed that the association's contracted photographers captured clear images of snow leopards in Xiaiger Mountain, Haian County, Qinghai Province, using infrared cameras, marking the first time such footage has been obtained from this region.
Snow leopards are often referred to as 'barometers of the health of high-altitude ecosystems.' They are distributed across 12 countries including China and Kazakhstan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Mongolia. Currently, China accounts for 60% of the global snow leopard habitat.
The screenshot is a clear image of a snow leopard captured by an infrared camera in Xiaiger Mountain, Haian County, Qinghai Province.
'We usually start around 4:00-5:00 AM from our accommodation, walking on the glacier for nearly an hour before reaching the shooting location and setting up infrared cameras,' (Gabu Zang), a forestry and grassland administration officer of Haian County, explained. 'Previously, the images we captured were very blurry, but we would check them every week.'
The infrared camera used to capture the clear snow leopard footage was purchased independently by contracted photographers (Gabu Zang Cai Lang) and (Hai Qing) and Haian County government staff (Gabu Zang).
'Based on the snow leopard's walking state, its hind leg appears to be injured, causing it to limp. We will continue to observe this snow leopard and other snow leopards,' (Gabu Zang Cai Lang) said.
According to information, the Qinghai Province Qilian Mountains National Park Administration has obtained a large number of images of snow leopards and other rare wild animals since launching snow leopard monitoring in May 2017, including the rare global and China's first-ever footage of 5 snow leopards appearing together.
'Seeing the signs of rare wild animals in my hometown, I feel incredibly proud. It indicates that our hometown's ecological environment is getting better and better, and wild animals can survive and grow,' (Gabu Zang Cai Lang) said.
has been working in wildlife protection in the Qilian Mountains for a long time. In December 2019, he took clear footage of a vulnerable cat species – the desert cat – also in the Qilian Mountains, which is the most clear and frontal footage of the desert cat recorded to date. ()
Original title: Haian, Qinghai, first time to capture clear snow leopard activity images
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