A snow leopard trapped in a desert of Turpan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was rescued on Saturday thanks to joint efforts of police officers and forestry workers.
The snow leopard was discovered trapped in the desert of Shanshan County of Turpan by tourists at around 14:00, who called police for help immediately.
Upon receiving the call, the local public security department worked together with forestry and grassland departments to launch an emergency response mechanism for wildlife rescue. Upon rushing to the site, rescuers promptly set up a safety cordon, ensuring the safety of tourists while keeping the ambiance quiet for the animal.
"At 20:10, the snow leopard was successfully brought into an iron cage. Initial observation revealed no obvious external injuries and it was in a desirable mental state," said Bai Juying, a police officer at Shanshan County. At 23:00, the snow leopard was transferred to the Xinjiang Wildlife Rescue Center for professional treatment. Preliminary examination by experts determined that it was an adult female with slight weakness and dehydration.
"Based on the analysis of the surrounding geographical environment, it is highly likely that this snow leopard got lost while chasing prey in the Tianshan Mountains. Later, once its physical condition is up the survival requirements of wild animals, it will be released back into the wild at an appropriate time," said Li Hongbiao, director of the Grassland Station under the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Shanshan County.
Known as the "king of the snow mountains," snow leopard is under the first-class state protection in China and is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
Joint efforts rescue snow leopard trapped in Xinjiang desert
