Wild giant panda spotted at 4,120 meters in SW China's Sichuan, sharing habitat with snow leopards

Footage of a wild giant panda captured on infrared camera in the Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve in Ya'an, Sichuan Province. (Photo: Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve)

(ECNS) -- A wild giant panda was captured on infrared camera at an altitude of 4,120 meters in the Fengtongzhai National Nature Reserve in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, local authorities said on Thursday.

The monitoring site, situated above the treeline on a barren scree slope, is typically frequented by snow leopards. Recorded in March 2025, this marks the first sighting of a wild giant panda in this zone. The footage provides direct evidence that the two flagship species - giant pandas and snow leopards - share high-altitude habitats connected by ecological corridors.

The discovery highlights the ecological protection achievements of the Giant Panda National Park and confirms that the region maintains intact vertical ecological chains and unobstructed wildlife migration passages, authorities added.

(By Intern Lin Qiaochu, Zhang Dongfang)