BEIJING: In a historic first, images of snow leopards have been captured through infrared cameras in two separate locations within southwest China’s Yunnan province, as reported by Beijing-based Xinhua News.
According to Anadolu Agency, the recordings, which confirm the presence of this endangered species in the province, were made on February 17 and 19 this year, as stated by the provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau. At least two snow leopards were sighted at high altitudes of 4,500 meters (14,763 feet) in the vicinity of Shangri-La city and 4,800 meters (15,748 feet) in a township in Deqen County, respectively.
Jiang Xuelong, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, noted that the species had not been photographed in the wild in Yunnan for many years. This absence was attributed to the high-altitude distribution of snow leopards and the lack of systematic surveys, which led to uncertainty about their presence in the province. Xinhua quoted the researcher emphasizi
ng that the recent sightings in northwestern Yunnan not only confirm the species’ presence but also mark one of the southernmost distribution records within China.
Based on the latest findings, zoologists believe that the Three Parallel Rivers area, located at the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Xizang, serves as a crucial corridor and habitat for snow leopard populations in the Hengduan Mountains. The snow leopard, often referred to as the “king of the snow mountains,” is under first-class national protection in China and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.