The snow leopard and the two babies share the captured yak. (Image courtesy of the China Feather Protection Association)

With the widespread use of infrared cameras and cameras in wild animal monitoring, previously unknown traces of wildlife activities have been recorded. In mid-March of this year, the China Feline Conservation Association photographed a high-definition video of a snow leopard eating yak at Baizha Forest Farm in Nangqin County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The video captured by the infrared camera lasts 11 hours. A female snow leopard enjoys the captured yak with two small snow leopards. This is the first domestic color HD image data of this type.

Snow Leopard hunting yak full shot

From the evening of March 11 to the morning of the 12th, an infrared camera clearly recorded this picture at the Baizha Forest Farm in Nangqian County. A female snow leopard led two small snow leopards to eat a newly harvested adult yak.

Huang Qiaowen, a staff member of the China Feline Protection Alliance, said that they are field survey projects commissioned by the Beijing Qiao Women Charity Foundation. Shortly after arriving at Baizhalin Farm, at 20:37 on March 11th, the staff had just mounted the camera and the three snow leopards appeared before the camera. The snow leopard ate from 21:48 to 20:47 at 20:47 and then rested for a while. At 3:52 am the next day, he returned and had to eat until dawn. From the video point of view, there is a new wound in the right back waist of the female adult snow leopard, and it is suspected that it was injured by the calf's horn while attacking the calf.

The yak that was killed was the home of the Malma, the herdsman. At 18 o'clock on the March 11th, the herdsman Marma received a message from the grazing family through the intercom. Two snow leopards killed his family's yaks. Marma informed the Baizhalinchang about the incident, and rushed to the site with the staff of the forest farm and the members of the Cat Alliance for animal investigations.

“When we installed the machine, Snow Leopard was behind a huge stone 20 meters away. I saw the eyes that it was shining.” According to Huang Qiaowen’s memory, in the back of the forest at an altitude of about 4,000 meters, there was a calf in the vicinity of the mountain beam. Snow Leopard killed. Through the telescope, you can see a snow leopard lying on the side of a calf's body. When the herdsmen arrived, the snow leopard was no longer at the scene. As a result, the staff deployed two infrared cameras on the tree near the yak's body to capture the aforementioned image.

Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve Police Department Baiza Protection District police station said that at the end of last year, based on clues provided by forest rangers, Baizhalin had happened in the Baizhalin area to steal livestock such as yaks and sheep. After getting the alarm, they promptly sent out the police to prevent snow leopards from injuring the animals and the herders from harming the snow leopards.

Why Snow Leopard Attacked Livestock Many Times

In an interview with the police of the Forest Public Security Bureau of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, the Snow Leopard in the mountains may lack sufficient food and went to the village several times to look for food. Now, snow leopard is not afraid of people, but also has a lot to do with the local people not hurting it. Prior to this, after extensive publicity by the police, the villagers all knew that the snow leopard was a national animal at the first level and treated it like a baby. For the loss of the villagers, compensation shall be made according to relevant regulations of the country.

“Snow leopards frequently appear in public view and even cause losses to herdsmen's livestock. On the one hand, they show that the country’s efforts to strengthen the construction of ecological civilization have promoted the protection of the entire ecosystem. The ecological environment in the Sanjiangyuan region has been improving year by year, and the population of snow leopards has not only been restored. The number of mysterious big cats that people used to find in the past has repeatedly appeared in people’s horizons, even in some densely populated areas. On the other hand, human activities in individual regions and Economic development has resulted in a shrinking habitat for snow leopards, scattered patches of habitat, overgrazing leading to grassland degradation, and a decrease in the number of hoofed species as a food resource for snow leopards, which has also contributed to the occasional occurrence of human-animal conflicts.” Northwestern Plateau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute researcher Zhang Tongzuo said in an interview with this reporter.

Snow Leopards found in many places in Qinghai Province

Not long ago, data provided by the Qilianshan Nature Reserve Administration of Qinghai Province showed that 251 snow leopard images were captured in Qinghai Qilian Mountains to fill the snow leopard distribution and population data gaps in the region. The snow leopard monitoring was the first large-scale wildlife monitoring project conducted in Qilian Mountains in Qinghai Province and Qilian Mountain National Park (Qinghai District). Of the 154 infrared cameras installed and installed, 37 cameras recorded 251 snow leopard photos and videos. Among them, five snow leopard cubs were photographed in the oil gourd area, and four adult snow leopards were framed in a precious frame, which is very rare in the current snow leopard monitoring.

Last May, at the Maixiuulin Field in the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, herdsmen continuously discovered signs of snow leopard activity, with a maximum of six. The shooting of six snow leopards is located in the Maidixiuchang Gudengrang Jungle Forest in the Maixiu Protection Area. Three snow leopards play in the river. After being spotted, Snow Leopard fled to the hills in different directions.

In the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Lancang River Basin, Zhaduo and Nangqian Qian were successively recorded trails of snow leopard activities. It is currently the most frequent place for Snow Leopard activities in our province. Especially in Soga, Zahe, Yege, Qumahe, Ansai, and Zhaqing, the population of Snow Leopard has remained stable and has been on an upward trend due to the preservation of a relatively large area of ​​relatively complete habitat. According to preliminary estimates, there are more than 1,000 snow leopards in Sanjiangyuan District.

The person in charge of the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration said that the snow leopard is the top carnivorous animal in the grassland ecosystem. Its existence indicates that herbivores and grasslands have enough capacity to make large predators at the top of the grassland food chain survive. Snow leopards indicate that the grassland system is a complete ecosystem. In the future, through the continuous improvement of ecological laws and regulations and the establishment of a long-term mechanism for large-scale, strong-coordination, multi-frequency eco-patrol enforcement, the protection of snow leopards in the Sanjiangyuan area will continue to increase.