Snow Leopard Numbers Rise, But Species Still At Risk
The mountain cat's status has been upgraded in the world from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable', but its future remains uncertain, as Cui Jia reports from Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, with Yang Yang in Yushu, Qinghai.
When Huang Yahui saw a snow leopard sitting in the snow-covered Tianshan Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, glancing down at her like an emperor trying to decide if the unexpected guest was actually worth his valuable time, she suddenly understood why the big cat is known as the "king of the snowy mountains".
About 90 seconds later, the snow leopard turned and vanished. He was obviously not interested in Huang or the other volunteers from Wilderness Xinjiang, an NGO based in Urumqi, the regional capital, which monitors local wildlife, especially the famously elusive snow leopards which are gradually becoming less mysterious to Chinese naturalists.
