Panthera pardus and snow leopard appear at same location in SW China's Tibet

Photo shows a snow leopard. (Photo courtesy of the Shanshui Conservation Center)

A common leopard (Panthera pardus) and its close cousin, a snow leopard, were recently photographed living in the same area in the Nujiang River valley in Tengchen county, Qamdo city in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

The two animals were recorded passing by a fir tree near a giant rock. The leopard stopped upon approaching the rock and the tree, sniffing around while trying to identify the scent of other animals who may have also frequented the site.

“Felidae species always mark the boundaries of their territory with urine and feces left at places easy to come across, such as rocks and trees. These places act like social networking platforms for animals,” said Zhao Xiang, head of the Shanshui Conservation Center, a Chinese NGO dedicated to the conservation of species and ecosystems.

“The co-existence of the two apex carnivores indicates that the region has enough food to sustain them, and points to a well-rounded and healthy ecosystem,” Zhao explained.

Over the past year, a wide range of species have been sighted in the region, an area that boasts a rich level of biodiversity. The range of species found in the region include at least five species of large carnivore, such as the snow leopard, panthera pardus, brown bear, wolf and jackal, and medium and small carnivores such as the manul (or Pallas’ cat), leopard cat, red fox, and Tibetan fox, as well as herbivores like the white-lipped deer.

So far, 21 animal species have been discovered in the upstream region of the Nujiang River, after carrying out a survey project on biodiversity in the Nujiang River valley, a project which began in 2018.

Nearly 100 infrared cameras have been installed throughout the Nujiang River valley, covering an area of around 1,000 square kilometers.

In the course of implementing the project, which was jointly launched by the Shanshui Conservation Center and Tengchen county, and further supported by the China Green Foundation, local herdsmen were trained to take up the extra tasks of wildlife inspectors.