Snow leopards found in Qinghai habitat

Zoologists have spotted a habitat with the greatest density of snow leopards in the entire country, located in western China's Qinghai province.

Zoologists have found a habitat in western China's Qinghai province with the greatest density of snow leopards in the country.

The habitat, located in a canyon region near China's biggest river, the Yangtze, covers an area smaller than 40 square kilometers, but it is home to a number of rare snow leopards. Last October, a few cases of snow leopards attacking lifestock in a neighboring village drew experts' attention to the area and prompted a field investigation.

Snow leopards typically live in high altitude mountains and plateaus across China, Afghanistan, India and Nepal. The creatures are critically endangered because their fur was once highly prized and their natural prey has declined. The number of surviving wild snow leopards is estimated at only 3,500 worldwide.