Research team finds rare cats in Qinghai

XINING－Eighteen infrared cameras have recently captured 13 images of Chinese desert cats in Qilian Mountain National Park in Qinghai province, according to the park's local administration.

Researchers spotted the wild cats seven times, collected 133 feces samples, and found three dead cats during a one-month survey of the vulnerable, highly-protected cat species which began in mid-May. It was carried out by Peking University and the park's Qinghai section, covering an area of 3,000 square kilometers.

"For a long time, Chinese desert cats would hardly be spotted due to their secretive nature and small population size, so the frequency of recent sightings indicates that the Qilian Mountain National Park's Qinghai section is a major habitat for the cats," says Liu Yanlin, a researcher from the survey team.

"The research will be conducive to the study and protection of the cats," says Yan Pinfa, also a member of the research team.

The Qilian Mountain National Park, one of the pilot national parks, includes 34,400 square km in Gansu province, and 15,800 square km in Qinghai.

Xinhua