In search of the elusive snow leopard

Images of a snow leopard and a brown bear captured by the same camera.[Photo/Shanshui Conservation Center]

"We expected more researchers and volunteers to join us," she said.

Last year a camera trap captured the images of seven different animals: a leopard, a brown bear, a white-lipped deer, a lynx, a red fox, a snow leopard, and a white-eared pheasant. Other cameras captured the images of wolves, otters, blue sheep and argali.

"This was a principal result of our monitoring last year," said the head of Angsai town, pointing to framed photos on the wall of his office.

"Over the past dozen years these photos have proven the existence of leopards in Three-River-Source regions for the first time, and they share habitats with snow leopards. They also show that the Lancang River-Source region is one of the areas in China rich in top carnivores whose habitats overlap."

Thus far they had found traces of 24 snow leopards and seven leopards in the area. They had also captured the images of two mating snow leopards.

However, as the natural environment has improved, the number of wild animals increased, and they are often fall victim to predators.

In 2015, predatory attacks caused the 1,930 households in Angsai town to lose 4.6 yaks each on average, the biggest loss for a household being 28 yaks, the local government says.