BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's snow leopard population has doubled to about 5,000 from around 2,500 in 2013, reflecting progress in protecting the species and its habitat.
The latest figures were released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Friday on the occasion of the International Day of the Snow Leopard which falls on Oct. 23.
Snow leopards typically inhabit rugged terrain at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 meters and serve as an important indicator of the health of high-altitude mountain ecosystems. The species is classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and receives the highest level of wildlife protection in China.
China has the world's largest snow leopard population and protects more than 60 percent of the species' global habitat, according to the administration. Its habitat covers about 2.08 million square kilometers across eight provincial-level regions.
China has taken a systematic approach to snow leopard conservation since 2013. Its protection network includes two national parks and 78 other important protected areas in key snow leopard habitats. More than 800,000 square kilometers of habitat are under strict protection, while nearly 40 percent of the species' potential habitat is under standardized management.
The country is also using technologies such as infrared cameras and DNA analysis of fecal samples to monitor snow leopard populations, track their movements and study their breeding activity.
Sustained conservation efforts have improved snow leopard habitat quality and ecosystem integrity, alongside growth in the population and its reproductive vitality, the administration said.
In April, infrared cameras in the Helan Mountains in northwest China captured a reintroduced female snow leopard with her cub, marking the first time a snow leopard reintroduction project worldwide has resulted in cubs being born and successfully raised in the wild.
Native to the Helan Mountains, snow leopards disappeared from the area in the 1950s due to habitat destruction and human disturbance. To restore the population, eight snow leopards have been introduced to the mountains so far. Several snow leopards, including those arriving naturally, have since established territories and hunt independently.
Signs of the species' presence are also emerging elsewhere. In Muli County of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province, footage recorded this year confirmed the first sighting of a snow leopard in the prefecture, extending the known southeastern edge of the species' range, the administration said.
Looking ahead, China will focus on improving connectivity between habitats, protecting genetic diversity and refining measures to prevent and address human-wildlife conflict to sustain snow leopard population recovery, the administration said. ■
