A giant panda has been captured on infrared camera at an altitude of 4,120 meters for the first time in Ya'an City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, according to local authorities, marking a rare sighting of the species in a high-altitude rocky zone where snow leopards are known to roam.
The camera was installed at a high-altitude terrain above the tree line with no bamboo forests -- a staple food source for giant pandas.
The area has long been recognized as a key habitat for alpine species like snow leopards and blue sheep. Monitoring data showing frequent snow leopard activity, but no panda had ever been recorded there before.
The footage captured recently shows a wild giant panda traversing the alpine scree and briefly resting on rocks.
Giant pandas typically inhabit temperate mountain forests at elevations between 1,500 and 3,500 meters, where bamboo is abundant.
Areas over-4,000-meter altitude, lacking food sources, are rarely visited by the species.
The footage is expected to provide valuable data for studying giant pandas' adaptation to high-altitude environments and assessing the health of alpine ecosystems.
Wildlife camera catches rare footage of wild giant panda at over 4,000 meters
China on Thursday sternly warned Japan over its nuclear ambition, calling it "a red line that should never be crossed". Ministry of National Defense spokesman Jiang Bin made the statement at a press briefing.
Jiang described recent remarks by the Japanese defense minister as "extremely provocative and dangerous", saying they had once again exposed Japan's pretense and lies to the international community.
His comments came after the Japanese defense chief said several times that Japan should discuss nuclear-weapon-related policies without taboos, including whether to revise the three non-nuclear principles -- the policy of not possessing, manufacturing, or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons that Japan has long been adhering to since the end of World War II.
"The remarks from the Japanese defense minister are highly provocative and dangerous, and once again expose Japan's pretense and lies to the international community. I wonder whether the Japanese side is using these remarks to test public opinion tolerance and pave the way for its ill attempts to challenge the bottom line of international justice. It is highly vigilant that Japan, an internationally recognized nuclear-threshold state, has stockpiled approximately 44.4 metric tons of separated plutonium and long maintained the capability for a rapid nuclear breakout," said Jiang.
Japan's attempt to breach the three non-nuclear principles seriously violates its obligations under international law as stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, severely undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, he said.
"Japan's pursuit of breaking through the 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles' severely violates its international legal obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, undermines the global non-proliferation regime and threatens the post-war international order. Japan's nuclear ambition is a red line that should never be crossed. Otherwise, if the Pandora's box is opened, the consequences would be catastrophic.The international community and the Japanese public must remain highly vigilant and resolutely contain such a tendency," Jiang said.
China says Japan's nuclear ambition is "red line that should never be crossed"
