Snow leopards spotted in China's Qilian Mountains

Infrared cameras have captured images of snow leopards in the Qilian Mountains in northwest China's Gansu Province, local authorities said.

Screenshot of a Xinhua video showing snow leopards in the Qilian Mountains. [Photo: China Plus]

The footage was recorded by seven infrared cameras at different sites in Gansu's Aksay Kazak Autonomous County on March 22, May 20 and June 29.

Whether it is the same big cat in the images is uncertain.

Images show the snow leopards yawning, looking into the distance on the mountains and urinating to leave marks at night.

A total of 22 infrared cameras were installed in March in the mountainous areas in Aksay County by a joint research team of the county's natural resources bureau and World Wildlife Fund.

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They mainly inhabit the Himalayas in central and southern Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters.