A snow leopard is seen in an undated infrared photo taken in Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)
by Xinhua writers Li Jiayu, Ren Yaoting
XINING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Dubbed the "roof of the world," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is often associated with only snow-capped mountains, grasslands and a cold climate, but photographer Bao Yongqing has captured an entire wildlife paradise for the world to behold.
Bao, 56, won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2019 for his image titled "The Moment" which captured a standoff between a Tibetan fox and a marmot.
The first Chinese photographer to receive the international honor, awarded annually by the London's Natural History Museum, Bao said he is happy to use his camera to bring the plateau to the world.
Bao was born in Tianjun County in northwest China's Qinghai Province. Covered by the Qilian Mountain National Park, his hometown is ideal for capturing wildlife because of its rich biodiversity.
His odyssey with the camera began in 2012 when he was working at a local livestock company. He used to take pictures of animals in his spare time as just a hobby. But, thanks to the encouragement and influence of his photographer friends, it soon turned into a profession.
In 2015, he tracked a flock of falcons for more than 40 consecutive days and captured their photographs. Seeing the older falcons taking care of a brood of fledglings, he was astounded by the resemblance between the animal world and the human world.
"The male falcon would fly out to forage at 6 a.m. to feed the chicks and this reminded me of how human parents treat their babies," Bao said, adding that be it animals or humans, they love their children the same way.
This experience impelled Bao to devote himself to pursuing wildlife photography. He once stayed alone for nine days in a canyon cave at an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters, in order to completely record the living conditions of snow leopards.
Under China's highest national-level protection and listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, snow leopards are Bao's favorite subject for photography.
"The snow leopards are always gentlemanlike, walking with confidence and spontaneousness. Even when they encounter humans, they don't run away," Bao said, adding that he shivers with excitement every time he spots the rare species.
Despite his obsession with capturing thrilling moments, Bao refrains from luring animals close for a good picture. He always maintains a distance of more than 200 meters from his subject when shooting.
The best wildlife photographs come out when animals are in their natural state, free of external influences, Bao noted.
The shutterbug believes his years of dedication and creative endeavors are bringing positive outcomes.
"A picture is worth a thousand words" -- Bao realized its true meaning when his works were exhibited abroad and the Chinese government and people were lauded for their conservation efforts.
"I am glad to show the world our efforts in ecology protection at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," Bao said.
He has also enjoyed showing the beautiful wildlife species to the children in his hometown. "Because of urbanization, children nowadays are not as connected to nature as we once were," Bao said.
Expressing his utter joy in enlightening children about wild animals, Bao noted that only when more people know about wild animals can nature be better protected. ■
