The mysterious "lone ranger" on the top of the snow-capped mountains frequently appears in the Qilian Mountains

On January 3, the Dongdahe Nature Reserve of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve Management Center in Gansu Province discovered precious images of the snow leopard, a national first-class protected animal, while recovering an infrared camera. This is the first time that a snow leopard has been photographed in the Yongchang section of the Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve.

There is a description in the Classic of Mountains and Seas: "There is a beast, which looks like a leopard, but has a white body and a pattern on its forehead. It is called Mengji. It is good at lying down, and its cry is its own call." This means that there is such a creature, which looks like a leopard, has a pattern on its forehead and a white body. Some scholars have verified that "Mengji" refers to the snow leopard. The snow leopard, also known as the "king of the snow mountain", is the top predator in the food chain and a flagship species for the protection of alpine ecosystems and Central Asian mountain ecosystems.

Snow leopards often live near the snow line and in the snow. Their fur is grayish white with black spots and black rings, and their tail is long and thick. They are listed as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are about 2,000 to 3,000 of them in my country.

Snow leopards roam the rocky and snowy Himalayas. It is so difficult for humans to approach them that they have almost become legendary beasts. In the Himalayas, this large cat is very mysterious, and the legends about it are comparable to those of the Yeti. Snow leopards are named because they live in the plateaus with snow all year round. Snow leopards belong to the cat family and are the most beautiful of the cats. Their size and appearance are very similar to those of leopards, but the length, color, pattern and shape of their fur are different from those of leopards. Snow leopards generally weigh about 50 kilograms and are about 1.3 meters long. They have a small and round head and a tail as long as their body. Their fur is gray-brown or gray-white. Snow leopards' fur is often dotted with dark gray and black spots like open roses. Snow leopards are nocturnal animals that come out to hunt at night. They live on rocks and in cracks during the day, so local people rarely see them. In order to further understand and grasp the population, number, distribution and other conditions of wild animals in the Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve, the Dongdahe Nature Reserve has deployed 20 infrared cameras in the area. When the staff sorted out the infrared camera data, they were surprised to find precious images of wild animals snow leopards in the wild. The video shows that on November 27, 2023, the snow leopard appeared in the camera range, walking along the rocks in the dark. This is the first time that a snow leopard has been monitored in the area.

Snow leopards are fierce and alert, agile and vigorous, and have great jumping ability. Some people have seen snow leopards jumping over a canyon more than 15 meters wide. Because they live in the mountains, snow leopards have almost no rivals. They mainly feed on wild sheep, snow rabbits, deer, birds, mice, etc. Sometimes they often attack livestock, but never actively attack humans. In order to adapt to life in the mountains, the snow leopard's chest muscles have evolved to be very developed, with short forelimbs, relatively large front claws, and long hind limbs; the tail is flexible and long, mainly used to balance the body. Snow leopards are not afraid of severe cold, but they are very afraid of heat. In order to adapt to the characteristics of cold climates, snow leopards have larger nasal cavities, thick fur on the body surface, and the hair on the abdomen can be up to 12 cm long. The thick pads on the soles of the snow leopard's feet can help it walk freely on the snow and rocks. When resting, it can wrap its body and face with its fluffy tail to keep warm.

Snow leopards have amazing fighting power, so they have always been called the king of snow mountains. Snow leopards are good at jumping, and they can easily climb cliffs three or four meters high. Sometimes, when they see prey at the foot of the mountain, they can jump and often catch other animals off guard, leaving them unable to fight back. Blue sheep are a favorite food of snow leopards. Of course, it is a very unfortunate thing for blue sheep to encounter snow leopards. Snow leopards have few natural enemies. They look down on various animals in high-altitude cold regions and are the masters of the plateau. However, when they encounter groups of wolves, they still have to retreat. Wolves are their only natural enemies. In addition to wolves, humans are their biggest threat.

On August 14, 2003, the World Wildlife Fund issued a call to the world to "save and protect the endangered rare animal snow leopard". Due to the deterioration of natural living conditions and illegal hunting by humans, the number of snow leopards worldwide is less than 7,000, and this number is decreasing rapidly. Because the figure and footprints of this animal are really difficult to capture, it is impossible to give more accurate data. Their habitat is gradually shrinking, and it is estimated that only 6% of snow leopards live in protected areas.

There are many factors that have led to the decline in the number of snow leopards. For example, human activities and excessive economic development have caused the area of ​​their habitat to shrink severely in recent years. Overgrazing has led to serious degradation of grasslands, and the food resources of snow leopards have decreased significantly. In addition, the impact of live capture from the wild by zoos on the decline of the population cannot be ignored. However, the biggest threat to snow leopards comes from poachers. The increase in the number of snow leopards in Central Asia is due to the establishment of an effective protection system. Governments have set up special working groups to combat poaching and trafficking of snow leopards, and mobilized local residents to expose and stop illegal hunting of snow leopards. According to Kazakh ecologists, about dozens of snow leopards are illegally hunted in Kazakhstan every year. It is said that local residents often kill snow leopards when they attack livestock. In addition, poachers also covet the thick fur of snow leopards, and snow leopard bones are also used as a substitute for tiger bones in medicine.

Currently, scientists hope to conduct further research on snow leopards in various regions. One of the research goals is to understand whether snow leopards leave scratches in their habitats and to further understand whether feces, footprints and odors can represent changes in the number of snow leopards in the area. After further understanding the habits of snow leopards, scientists hope to find ways to raise and breed snow leopards artificially. However, since snow leopards live in high-altitude areas, many zoos around the world have tried to breed them, but there are few successful examples. As early as July 1983, the People's Park in Xining City, Qinghai Province, located on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, took advantage of its unique geographical advantages and successfully solved the problem of snow leopard breeding under artificial breeding conditions through several years of efforts, but unfortunately it has not yet formed a certain scale.

As the largest distribution country of snow leopards, the Chinese government has formulated and implemented the "China Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan", which plays an important role in snow leopard protection. In recent years, 138 nature reserves have been established in the snow leopard distribution area. These reserves vary in size and type, forming the most basic snow leopard protection monitoring network. The Yongchang section of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve is located in the experimental area, with an existing forest area of ​​528,400 mu. The unique topography and landforms and unique natural conditions provide a good living space for the growth and breeding of rare wild animals and plants. In recent years, the Yongchang County Party Committee, the County Government, and the Dongdahe Nature Reserve have increased the environmental protection efforts of the Qilian Mountains, organized and implemented the three major defense battles of blue sky, clear water, and clean land. All mines in the Qilian Mountains have been closed, and herders have planned to return pasture to grassland, which has promoted the continuous improvement of the environment in the Qilian Mountains. The good ecological environment provides better habitats for wild animals, and national first-class protected animals such as snow leopards have also appeared. Biodiversity maintains ecological balance and promotes the harmonious development of man and nature.