Images captured along the Nujiang River Valley in Dengchen county of the Tibet autonomous region show that the area is a quality ecosystem for certain carnivores, the Shanshui Conservation Center said.

 

After starting in 2017 as a trial, a biodiversity survey was completed by the center jointly with the Dengchen county forestry and grassland bureau.

 

An image captured along the Nujiang River Valley of Dengchen county in the Tibet autonomous region shows a snow leopard. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
 

"Since 2018, Tibetan herders have been trained as ecological monitors, and nearly 55 infrared cameras have been placed at strategic points covering more than 1,000 square kilometers in the Nujiang River Valley," said Zhao Xiang, director of the center, adding the ecosystem in these areas is healthy.

 

"The captured images show that rare species — including the snow leopard, common leopard, Tibetan brown bear, Eurasian lynx, wolf and dhole have been stable inhabitants," Zhao said.

 

An image captured along the Nujiang River Valley of Dengchen county in the Tibet autonomous region shows a common leopard. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
 

"Images also show that the top predators, including snow leopards and common leopards, coexist in the same area, which means that there is enough food to support them."

 

Zhao added that the images provide important data for the study of carnivores at a time of global climate change.

 

An image captured along the Nujiang River Valley of Dengchen county in the Tibet autonomous region shows a Tibetan brown bear. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
 

According to Yugnyan, a project officer at the conservation center, 200,000 yuan ($31,000) was granted to the Puthang village of the Dengchen county to establish a human and animal conflict insurance fund.

 

It is supplementary money for cases that are not compensated by the governmental livestock insurance policy, Yugnyan said.

 

 

An image captured along the Nujiang River Valley of Dengchen county in the Tibet autonomous region shows a white lipped deer. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


By Palden Nyima in Lhasa