Not all wild creatures are as lucky as Lingxue. In 2017, Qi's team tried to save four injured snow leopards they found on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but just two of them survived.

From 2013 to 2017, the park has tried to rescue 500 injured wild animals, representing 63 species. Among them, about 300 have been released into the wild after recovery, and 10 are still being treated. The others have died.

"Injured wild animals are not easy to find because they tend to hide and recover in solitude," Qi said. "So when people notice them, they are usually in extremely poor condition, making a successful rescue more difficult."

Villagers are often the first to discover an injured animal, and they usually report it to the local authorities as soon as possible. "Although they are more aware of wildlife protection, they do not have first aid skills," Qi said of the local governments' ability to rehabilitate injured wildlife.

China is home to about 2,500 snow leopards, with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau being the cat's major habitat. "The area is vast and sparsely populated, and medical care there is poor for humans, let alone wild animals," Qi said.

He said a top-down wildlife rescue system, involving government, social groups and residents, needs to be established to improve wildlife protection.

"There is no full-time professional rescue personnel in the park. All 10 people who manage animal health issues here are part-time and not professionals," he said, adding that the launch of a rescue center or hospital for wild animals in Xining is of critical importance.

Qi also said any such future center should be equipped with professional medical facilities and have enough full-time veterinarians and experts able to provide timely advice and care.

County-level stations are also important in places where wild animals are abundant, he added.

By: Zhang Yi