Rare species return to Qilian Mountains

Independent

27-06-2025

The Qilian Mountains in Northwest China have come nearly full circle from four decades ago when the flora and fauna were threatened by deforestation, grazing and poaching.
The 620-mile mountain range separating Qinghai and Gansu provinces is today hailed as an oasis surrounded by desert. The towering peaks of the Qilian Mountains capture warm, moist air from the southeast, creating abundant precipitation. This climate and the various ecological environments in the area have fostered diverse habitats for numerous wildlife species, including snow leopards, wild yaks and black-necked cranes.
'We came across two snow leopards during a patrol,' recalled Lang Wenrui, deputy director of the Sunan branch of the Zhangye ecology and environment bureau, which administers part of the mountain range. 'They were drinking by a water source, only about 16 feet away from us.'
Lang, a photography enthusiast, spends most of his year patrolling the Qilian Mountains.
'I've been searching for snow leopards for 15 years during patrols,' he said. 'In the first 10 years, I didn't see a single one, but in the past five years, I've encountered over a dozen.'
The snow leopard population in the Qilian Mountains has been rapidly recovering, an epitome of the results of continuous conservation efforts.
'Sightings of snow leopards in the wild are more frequent, and the range within which these leopards make their presence known is steadily expanding,' said Pei Wen, director of the management centre of Gansu's Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve.
The number of snow leopards in Gansu's Qilian Mountain and Yanchiwan national nature reserves has reached approximately 700, according to Ma Duifang, head of the wildlife management department at the Zhangye branch of the Gansu Qilian Mountain National Park Administration.
Restoring the snow leopard population is crucial, Ma said. 'Snow leopards are a flagship and umbrella species in the Qilian Mountains, sitting at the top of the ecosystem's food chain. They are closely linked to many other wildlife species in the region,' he said. 'For example, the bearded vulture, which is not a strong hunter, relies on the carcasses of prey caught by snow leopards as a vital food source. Meanwhile, the populations of blue sheep, red deer and musk deer — primary prey for snow leopards — are kept in check by their predation.'
He said snow leopards are like 'the thermometer of the alpine ecosystem'.
'When their population structure and numbers are balanced, it signals a healthy ecosystem. Conversely, if their numbers are declining or they're on the brink of extinction, it suggests there are broader issues with the environment,' he said.
In 2017, the Qilian Mountains were designated as a pilot national park, covering 19,380 square miles. The region was divided into core protection and general control zones, and residents in the core protection zone were encouraged to participate in ecological migration.
'The aim is to preserve a complete natural ecosystem for future generations,' said Guo Shengxiang, deputy director of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve's management centre.
The government provided the migrants homes and subsidies to offset grazing bans, and offered them positions as forest rangers or alternative livelihood training.
'In the Gansu section of Qilian Mountain National Park, we've employed 2,425 forest rangers, most of whom are local migrants,' Guo said.
Ma Jiancheng, head of the Xiangyangtai resource management centre of Sidalong station, which is part of the Qilian Mountain reserve, has been working as a forest ranger for 26 years. Each month, he and his colleagues spend at least 20 days patrolling deep in the mountains at altitudes above 9,840 feet.
Now, their work is empowered by technology, as each ranger is equipped with a programme on their phones to record their patrol routes. If they spot wildlife or signs of human activity, they immediately take photos and upload them to the programme.
'Moreover, the rangers regularly conduct aerial patrols using drones, and video monitoring towers and infrared cameras have been set up to better monitor wildlife movements, human activities and fire warnings,' Ma Jiancheng said.
'The results of the environmental and ecological protection efforts over the years have been very evident. Nowadays, we often see wildlife such as musk deer, red deer, blue sheep, blue eared pheasants, golden eagles and even snow leopards during patrol,' he added.
Data from the Qilian Mountain reserve's management centre shows that the reserve is now home to 360 species of wildlife, including 24 species under national first-class protection.