Herders key figures in plateau wildlife conservation

The deeper challenge is unequal cost. The ecological value of wildlife protection is shared by society, Liu said, while livestock losses are carried mainly by individual families.

Many residents understand that snow leopards and bears hunt to survive, but tolerance does not erase the financial loss.

Insurance, compensation and protective equipment can reduce immediate damage. Long-term coexistence also requires ways for communities to earn an income from protecting the landscape.

Liu is helping a community run a handicraft cooperative established in December 2025. Its 15 members, about half of whom are women, make products inspired by local plants and animals. The cooperative has earned more than 20,000 yuan.

The sum is modest and cannot replace herding income, Liu said. But it gives residents another skill, additional earnings and a way to introduce their homeland through products they create themselves.

She sees similar promise in nature experiences, but cautions that Sanjiangyuan is not an ordinary tourism destination. Visitors must keep their distance from wildlife and respect ecological boundaries. Short-term revenue cannot come at the expense of fragile habitats.

Liu applies the same caution to wildlife data. More camera images do not necessarily prove that animal populations are growing, because changes in camera numbers, locations and coverage can affect results. Reliable conclusions require long-term monitoring with consistent methods.

Still, individual images can reveal why the work matters. While reviewing footage with a local monitor, Liu once watched one snow leopard cub appear, then another. Finally, the mother emerged with three cubs.

Other rewards are subdued: a cooperative member earning money from a product she made, a community guide completing a visit, or a herder beginning to trust a conservation team after months of conversation. Li's research shows what becomes possible when scientific methods meet knowledge accumulated and passed down over generations. Liu's work shows what it takes to sustain that partnership through fences, follow-up visits, shared income and patient negotiation.

The team's work points toward a measure of conservation broader than the number of animals recorded on camera. Success means that people can remain on their land, preserve their culture and build secure lives, while wildlife retains safe, connected habitats.

In the region, coexistence is not an abstract ideal. It is a pact that is renewed daily — whenever a herder reports a lost yak without demanding retaliation, a ranger climbs a mountain to check a camera, or a family chooses to make room for the wild animals beyond its door. The future of this landscape will depend on keeping that promise.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn