Population study of snow leopards show feasibility of survey methodology

XINING — Chinese researchers have surveyed snow leopard populations across approximately 360,000 square kilometers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, estimating a population size of 1,002 of the rare species in the area.

Organizations including Peking University, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Shan Shui Conservation Center carried out the assessment in the Sanjiangyuan area, Northwest China's Qinghai province, and the article about their findings was published in the international journal of Biodiversity and Conservation on Jan 11.

This is the first time China has completed a major snow leopard population assessment and represents the largest snow leopard survey published globally, said Xiao Lingyun, an assistant professor at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and a co-author of the article.

The study was based on existing infrared camera survey data from 12 monitoring sites from 2015 to 2021, during which time four organizations, including the Shan Shui Conservation Center, collected nearly 10,000 snow leopard activity records. The results indicate that within the surveyed area, over 110,000 sq km are potentially suitable habitats for snow leopards.

The average population density of snow leopards in these habitats is about 0.9 individuals per 100 square km, with an estimated total population of around 1,002 individuals, said Xiao.

"This survey has confirmed the feasibility of large-scale rare species population estimation, providing crucial data support and scientific basis for the global conservation efforts of the snow leopard," she said.

Known as the "king of the snow mountains", the snow leopard is under first-class national protection in China and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

China is home to about 60 percent of the world's snow leopard habitats. The Sanjiangyuan area is one of the most densely populated areas for snow leopards in the country and the world.

However, the elusive nature and vast activity range of the species make accurate population assessment difficult.

Zhao Xiang, conservation director of the Shan Shui Conservation Center, said that based on the previous global snow leopard population estimate, which was between 7,446 and 7,996 individuals, the estimate in the Sanjiangyuan area in this assessment accounts for more than 10 percent of the world's snow leopard population, highlighting the extremely high conservation value in the area.

This study also provides technical references for future large-scale snow leopard surveys in more areas, said Zhao.

Xinhua