Located in the south of Qinghai, Sanjiangyuan has an average altitude of 3500 to 4800 meters, and is the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with a total area of 302,500 square kilometers, accounting for about 43% of the total area of Qinghai Province. Since the establishment of the nature reserve, the creatures inside the three rivers have become more and more abundant and diverse. Sanjiangyuan National Park is a paradise for wildlife, with a total area of 123,100 square kilometers, about one-third of the area of Sanjiangyuan. There are many endangered wild animals living in this land, including snow leopards, Tibetan antelopes, white-lipped deer, Tibetan wild donkeys, wild yaks, Tibetan hartebeests, black-necked cranes, red hemp ducks and so on.
For the first time, snow leopards were photographed nibbling on adult Tibetan wild donkeys in Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai
Recently, in Sanjiangyuan National Park, ecological stewards took the rare picture of snow leopards nibbling on adult Tibetan wild donkeys for the first time during the inspection, and the food of snow leopards is generally rock sheep, yellow sheep, hares and other animals, and the situation of snow leopards directly hunting large animals is rarely recorded, which shows that the comprehensive strength of snow leopards is getting stronger and stronger, and the physical fitness is getting better and better.
Snow leopard belongs to the leopard subfamily of cats, often near the snow line and between the snow, named snow leopard, the fur is gray to gray, the body is strong, the entire body length is about 110-130 cm, the tail is about 90-105 cm, the weight is generally 60-120 pounds, the snow leopard forefoot 5 toes, the back 4 toes. The forefoot is wider than the hind foot, the toe end has a hard claw, slightly curved, and the tip is sharp, which is an important weapon for the snow leopard's prey, the tongue surface has many barbs at the end, and the spines on the tip of the tongue and the edge of the tongue form many fleshy small protrusions, and there will be scratches on a smooth piece of flesh.
Snow leopards are expert hunters and are known as the king of the snow
Let's introduce a little bit, the animals hunted by the snow leopard - Tibetan wild donkeys, belong to the equine family, although the Tibetan wild donkey is a herbivorous animal, but its size is not small, it is the largest of all wild donkeys, the average shoulder height is 140 cm, the head length is 182-214 cm, the adult Tibetan wild donkey weighs 250-400 kg, belongs to the small social animals, this time caught by the snow leopard, must be scattered with companions, or run fast enough for other companions. Such large animals have been brought down by snow leopards, which shows that snow leopards are expert hunters, and they are known as the king of snow.
Snow leopards generally use scents to mark territory and routes
Snow leopards, like other cats, like to mark territory and routes with smell, most commonly by wiping the ground with their hind feet before urinating or excreting feces, and also spraying urine onto shaded rocks.
The main threats to snow leopard populations are poaching and the illegal trade in fur and body parts. With the increase of protection efforts, people's awareness of the protection of wild animals is getting stronger and stronger, and the living environment of snow leopards is getting better and better, and the number is gradually increasing.