Herders key figures in plateau wildlife conservation

Community partnerships

The same partnership shaped a nature experience program launched in Angsai in 2018.

It trained 22 herding households to host visitors and guide wildlife observation under strict rules. Prior to its suspension due to policy adjustments, the program recorded over 750 visits.

The community allocated 45 percent of revenue to host families, 45 percent to a village collective fund and 10 percent to an animal protection fund. The program generated 2.5 million yuan ($370,664) for the local economy, with participating households earning on average nearly 70,000 yuan over its duration.

In line with the program, visitors could not feed or chase animals, approach dens too closely or casually use drones. Snow leopard sightings exceeded 50 percent without baiting or staged encounters. "People need secure livelihoods before they have the energy to protect nature," Li said.

For Liu Fanjing, a 29-year-old conservation worker who joined Shanshui's Yushu station in October, that principle is tested through daily, often unglamorous work.

After completing her master's degree in environmental sciences from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in July 2025, Liu was drawn to the Three-River-Source region by its combination of wildlife science, community participation and practical conservation. She now works across several project sites, engaging with communities, exploring alternative livelihoods, reducing human-wildlife conflict and assisting with camera monitoring.

Front-line conservation rarely follows a fixed routine. On one winter trip, the team's vehicle became trapped in deep snow in an area with no cellphone signal.

On another night, Liu woke at a field station to dogs barking and the sound of heavy breathing outside. Bear tracks were found beside the wall the next morning.

The encounter gave her a practical understanding of coexistence. Food and kitchen waste must be removed, so bears do not develop a habit of searching human settlements for meals. Protecting wildlife, she said, also requires people to change their behavior and minimize opportunities for conflict.

Much of her work involves helping households install electric fences, wire barriers or reinforced doors and windows.

Because homes, livestock practices and bear activity differ, no single measure suits every family. Installation is followed by visits to check whether bears have returned and whether equipment is maintained. "The point is not simply to tell herders that something works," Liu said. "It is to observe and adjust it with them, so the measure fits each household."