A snow leopard gazes at a lake at the source of the Yellow River in northwest China's Qinghai, Oct. 5, 2019. (Photo courtesy of the World Wide Fund for Nature).

New progress has been made in the investigation of snow leopards in the Yellow River source, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

Up to now, snow leopards in the Yellow River source have been recorded 194 times of triggering the infrared camera. 2,131 video clips and photos of snow leopards were captured by infrared cameras.

"We have set up 22 infrared cameras through five field surveys, covering an area of about 425 square kilometers. These data are important for us to understand the distributions, survival status, population and behavior of snow leopards, which provide an important scientific basis for the protection of snow leopards." said A Wang, founder of a nature conservation center in Qinghai.

Image of snow leopards mating captured by infrared cameras. (Photo courtesy of WWF)

The snow leopard is a Class-A protected animal in China and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as vulnerable.

There is an estimated population of 4,500 to 7,500 living in the wild globally, according to IUCN.