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Framed by clouds and capped by a layer of permanent snow, the San Jiangyuan Nature Reserve on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding grasslands are home to 69 protected species, including the Tibetan antelope, wild yak, Tibetan fox, black-necked crane, and the snow leopard.
As part of the panthera genus, snow leopards derive their name from living above the snow line. These solitary hunters pace the mountains camouflaged by distinctive gray-black leaf markings, confident in their position at the top of the food chain. They are also an "umbrella species", meaning that their well-being in turn impacts other species and the ecosystem as a whole.
A snow leopard in profile
Snow leopards are classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. Fewer than 8,000 are thought to remain in the world, 60% of which are located in China. Established in 2007, the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center is committed to protecting species and their habitats, including multiple snow leopard habitats, on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the mountain range in the south west, and around the surrounding cities.
Researchers from the center note that the nocturnal snow leopard has strong territorial instincts, roaming and hunting over an area of up to 200 square kilometers, which makes the elusive cat hard to find and protection and research extremely difficult.
