The Qilian Mountains National Park, located at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, is one of the top ten national parks in my country. It is located on the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and consists of a series of mountains, valleys, basins, etc., and is extremely rich in natural resources.

The Qilian Mountains are one of the areas with the highest biodiversity in my country. Countless rare and exotic animals thrive here, such as snow leopards, white-lipped deer, horse musk deer, golden eagles, etc.

Snow leopard is a relatively mysterious animal. In the past It is very difficult for people to take pictures of their activities in the wild. Sometimes photographers squat in the wild for several days and find nothing. However, since the introduction of infrared cameras into this field, it has become less difficult to photograph snow leopards in the wild.

Due to proper protection, the number of snow leopards in my country has been rising. They can often be seen through the data fed back by infrared cameras over the years.

Recently, when the rangers of the Qilian Mountains National Park checked the infrared camera data, they discovered that a precious image of a snow leopard preying on a blue sheep was captured near the tidal dam in Minle County, Zhangye.

Judging from the picture, the snow leopard is in a rocky area with exposed rocks. It appears in the camera with a blue sheep in its mouth, and it seems that it has just finished hunting. This snow leopard is visually estimated to be an adult, with a strong body and a strong posture. It is still moving freely with a blue sheep in its mouth and is walking up the mountain.

Snow leopard: King of the snow leopards on the plateau

The location where the snow leopard was photographed is about 25 kilometers away from Minle County. The Minle area of ​​Gansu Province is one of the most important habitats for snow leopards. In recent years, due to The results of ecological environment protection are gradually showing, animal protection awareness is deeply rooted in the people, the local biodiversity is richer, and the population of various wild animals is increasing, including snow leopards.

The snow leopard photographed is relatively strong, and the hair on its body is relatively fluffy and thick, making it look like a strong little tiger. After staying in the jungle for a while, he was heading higher up the mountain with a blue sheep in his mouth.

The snow leopard is one of the 13 species of cats in my country. Like tigers and lions, it belongs to the genus Catidae. It is named because it often moves near the snow line and in the snow.

Judging from the size, the snow leopard is undoubtedly a big cat. It can weigh 22-55 kilograms as an adult, and a few larger male individuals can even exceed 75 kilograms. Compared with big cats such as leopards and tigers, snow leopards have shorter limbs and less hair on their bodies.It is more fluffy and dense, so the snow leopard will be visually squatter.

If the tiger is the king of the forest and the lion is the king of the grassland, then the snow leopard is undoubtedly the king of the snow mountains. As the top predator in the plateau ecosystem, the snow leopard plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of the plateau ecosystem. It can effectively control the population of ungulates such as blue sheep and argali.

Bare rock areas are the home ground of snow leopards

Snow leopards are a plateau species that mainly live in areas with an altitude of 3,000-5,000 meters. Scientists have explored why plateau species such as snow leopards and Tibetan foxes can survive for a long time and move freely in thin-oxygen environments. After research, they found that they possess a gene that is not found in low-altitude species, called the "EPAS1 gene."

This gene can affect the mechanism of hemoglobin production in organisms, making them very sensitive to changes in oxygen and equipped with highly developed skills such as distributing blood and regulating breathing.

In order to better adapt to the cold environment, the snow leopard's body has also undergone some adaptive changes during the long process of species evolution. For example, the nasal cavity becomes enlarged, thick hair grows, etc.

Although snow leopards are high-altitude species, they are found in different Seasonally, their vertical distribution fluctuates. When covered with snow in winter, they tend to move to lower altitude areas, while in summer they move to higher altitude mountainous areas.

Alpine bare rock areas are the home ground of snow leopards. Snow leopards still have strong mobility in rocky environments. The snow leopard has a thick and long tail, which can be placed in the mouth and nose to keep warm. It also plays a great role in maintaining balance when moving on rocky terrain.

Snow leopards’ gray and white hair with black markings are a good camouflage on rocky areas. Once they lurk, they are extremely difficult to detect. The hunting method of ambush and chase makes snow leopards have good hunting skills on bare rock areas. High hunting success rate.

Ecological Weathervane of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Snow leopards are mainly distributed in 12 countries in Central Asia. Among them, my country is the country with the largest distribution of snow leopards, and 60% of its habitats are within our territory.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the main distribution area of ​​snow leopards. In the past, the biggest threat to snow leopards was poaching. Later, as countries continued to crack down on this aspect, awareness of animal protection gradually increased. It is deeply understood that the biggest threat to snow leopards has become the all-round impact of climate change.

HighThe ecological environment of the original area is already relatively fragile. As early as 2016, some scientists in the United States used computer modeling to simulate changes in the snow leopard's habitat during various climate periods. They found that as global temperatures rise, by 2070 Snow leopards will lose 65% of their habitat.

In the past 20 years or so, the temperature of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has increased by 3 degrees Celsius. Many people may not feel it clearly, but climate change has indeed affected the survival of snow leopards. Among them, the activity range of golden leopards has moved upward. Being in the same place as a snow leopard is a sign.

However, in the face of climate change, there are three places that are relatively stable. The Altai Mountains, the Qilian Mountains, and the Tianshan Mountains extending to the Kunlun Mountains will be the last refuges of snow leopards.

As the flagship species of the plateau ecosystem, snow leopards have always been known as the "ecological vane of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau". Their presence and abundance can directly reflect the integrity of the plateau ecology.

There are about 7,500 snow leopards in the world, of which about 4,500 live in our country. It is said that "the world's snow leopard protection depends on China." my country has indeed delivered in this regard to the satisfaction of the world. answer sheet.

In my country, the number of snow leopards has already shown an upward trend. For example, when an assessment of the living status of snow leopards in the Qilian Mountains was conducted in 2015, it was found that their density has more than tripled compared with the 1980s. The endangered status of snow leopards has also dropped from "endangered" to "vulnerable".