Several snow leopards, which are among the world's rarest big cats, have been frequently captured on film in a national reserve in China's northwestern Gansu province.

After the national reserve was established in Subei County, a number of infrared cameras were installed, which have subsequently documented the snow leopards 160 times. Local authorities are now identifying the individual leopards and setting up a database to estimate the total population.

The snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Snow leopards usually inhabit alpine and subalpine zones at elevations from 2,500 to 5,000 meters.