Snow leopard pictured on Qilian Mountains

A snow leopard is pictured on the Qilian Mountains in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Photo: China News Service/Lang Wenrui)

Snow leopards are under China's highest national-level protection and are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Known as the "king of snow mountains," they are usually found at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 meters.