Following a tip-off from local yak herders, Xiaoyun began a daily six-hour round trip to this mountain site. On the ninth day he spotted a snow leopard and three cubs sleeping among rocks. While observing the leopards with his drone, Xiaoyun noticed the remains of a blue sheep on which they had likely just fed.
Snow leopards are a vulnerable species. However, the illegalisation of firearms in China in 1989, along with hunting bans in key provinces, seems to be helping stabilise population numbers.
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China
Xiaoyun has been an amateur wildlife photographer for almost 10 years. His home city of Chengdu, China is relatively close to several hotspots for snow leopards in the Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. His work aims to help promote wildlife tourism in the poor and remote area of the Tibetan Plateau. This is his first time participating in a national or international photography competition.
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