Don’t ever say you don’t know these 13 wild cat species in China!

Cats are one of the most charming animals in nature.

They are either smart and elegant

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or majestic

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Or cute

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China is one of the countries with the most cat species in the world.

Tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, lynx, golden cat

Clouded leopard cat, ocelot, fishing cat, manul, desert cat, wild cat, jungle cat

Up to 13 species of wild cats

In the vast land of China

Jumping, running wild

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China's topography and landforms are extremely complex and diverse

The warm and humid air currents blowing from the ocean are affected by the topography

This has resulted in a wide variety of climate types across the country.

Diverse climate

Creates a complex habitat

From the highest mountains of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

To the mangroves along the coastline

From the tropical rainforests that are warm all year round

To the extremely cold Taiga forest in winter

From the arid deserts of the northwest

To the Jiangnan Water Network Wetland

Thousands of living beings have found their own paradise

The same is true for cats

They occupy nearly every terrestrial ecosystem.

Some of them exist as small hunters

Some are the top leaders in the ecosystem

Whether it is a big cat like a tiger or a leopard

Or a kitten like a manul or jungle cat?

Both require adequate food and an unspoiled environment.

The population can grow and develop

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△ Tigers need a lot of prey and a large habitat to survive. The picture shows a female Siberian tiger. Source: Li Dongwei, Hunchun Wildlife Conservation Association

The presence of cats

Represents the health and integrity of an ecosystem

Understand them and pay attention to them

It is the most gentle protection for them.

01

Plateau Elf

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau , the first step of China

It is called the third pole of the earth besides the North and South Poles.

The average altitude of the mountains here is 4,000 to 5,000 meters.

The high altitude and oxygen-deficient environment makes life difficult

However, even in such a harsh place

There is also a magical plateau ecosystem

The "king of the mountains" snow leopard roams here

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△Snow leopards mainly live in the alpine and subalpine zones above the tree line and below the snow line. Image source: Shanshui Nature Conservation Center

Snow leopard is the most complete and healthy big cat in China

It is also a flagship species that has attracted much attention.

China is the center of snow leopard distribution

There are more than 7,000 of them in the world

There are more than 4,000 of them in China.

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△Snow leopard - the king of the mountains. Source: Shanshui Nature Conservation Center

Centered on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Mountains with an altitude of 2000~5000 meters

Snow leopards look down on all creatures on the plateau with their kingly demeanor

Shuttle between

Because it is far away from humans

They are able to live in a relatively safe and spacious environment.

Free life

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△Wild goats, represented by blue sheep, are the main food source for snow leopards. Image source: Shanshui Nature Conservation Center

Except for snow leopard

There are also several small and medium-sized cat species living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:

Lynx, Manul and Desert Cat

Although they do not have the kingly spirit of the snow leopard

But also with the unique appearance to gain thousands of love

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△Desert cats do not like deserts, but prefer shallow mountain areas with abundant shrubs and grass. Image source: Shanshui Nature Conservation Center

With the increasing expansion of human activities

They are in a situation where they need protection.

We may never see them in person.

But they are just like us

Living on this vast land beneath our feet

02

Mountain Hunter

Starting from the mountains in the west of Sichuan Plain

All the way to the border area between Yunnan and Tibet

Southwest mountainous area is the most biodiverse region in China

Here is affected by the monsoon

Sufficient rainfall

The moist evergreen forest shelters numerous rare wild animals.

Cats are no exception

In addition to collecting three big cats

Tiger, leopard, snow leopard

It's still active here

Clouded leopard, golden cat, leopard cat, clouded cat

Small and medium-sized cats

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△Can you find the clouded leopard hiding in the grass? Source: Cat Alliance, Xishuangbanna Yiwu State Nature Reserve, Yunnan Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Research Institute

But with deforestation and high-intensity hunting

Their numbers have dropped dramatically

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Clouded leopards were originally widely distributed in southern China.

Now there are only occasional records in the southwest corner.

03

Desert Ranger

The Northwest region, deep in the hinterland

Drought

Deserts are widespread

It is a forbidden place that many lives cannot approach.

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△Taklimakan Desert, a forbidden zone for life. Copyright image, no permission to reprint

But in such a harsh environment

Cats still have the courage to challenge survival

Asian Wildcat

Active on the edge of the desert

This is a cat that looks like a domestic cat.

But the body is dotted with spots

Strange Kitten

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△Precious record photo of Asian wild cat. Source: Zhang Hui

There are various species of gerbils, voles and jerboas living here

It is their most enjoyable meal.

As more and more domestic cats appear in rural areas of Northwest China

Asian wild cat and domestic cat hybrid

May become a key threat to the continuation of its species

Except for the Asian wild cat

Manuls also choose to live in desert areas

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△A cute manul. Image source: Qilianshan National Nature Reserve in Gansu, Peking University, Cat Alliance

The manul has a cute appearance

And round pupils like humans

In recent years, the Internet

The "Internet celebrity" who is as famous as the Tibetan fox

However, many people don’t know that

These two often fight over a disagreement.

One dozen is a day

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△ Internet celebrities fighting. Image source: Liang Haihong

Source: China National Geographic BOOK

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