Snow leopard stuck in iron fence rescued
Amdo forestry petrol police rescue a snow leopard.
Local forestry police in Amdo County, in the northern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, rescued a snow leopard on Sunday. The rare big cat had killed over 20 cows and sheep before becoming entangled in an iron fence and injuring its left leg.
After receiving a call from herders, the forestry petrol police rescued the leopard at 2am. It was in critical condition, but was eating after receiving initial treatment on the spot before being transferred to Lhasa for further treatment.
The big cat, also known as the "king of the snow mountains," has been spotted more frequently in southwest China's high-altitude areas such as Tibet, as well as Gansu and Sichuan provinces.
Snow leopard is under the highest-level state protection in China.
Snow leopards are classified as Class-A protected animals in China, which means they have the highest level of protection. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified it as "vulnerable." They live primarily in the Himalayas of central and south Asia at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 4,500 meters.
Many programs have been set up to protect endangered animals. In 2013, the Vanke Foundation and Tibet's forestry departments collaborated to launch a monitoring program at the Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. Four of the world's six highest mountains are located along the reserve's border with Nepal.
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A snow leopard is spotted along a highway in Tibet in March.
Recently, over a few months, 143 infrared cameras were placed in high-density areas for snow leopards in Nagchu, which includes Amdo County. According to the city's forestry and grassland bureau, images of the big cats have been captured about 100 times, along with images of other carnivores such as the Tibetan brown bear, Eurasian lynx, and dhole.
According to the IUCN, there are approximately 4,500 to 7,500 snow leopards roaming in the wild worldwide.
