【Commentary】North China leopard is a subspecies of leopard living in China, because the leopard body is shaped like copper money, folk commonly known as "money leopard". Shanxi is one of the provinces with the richest leopard population in North China. Since 2023, North China leopards have appeared frequently in many places in Shanxi.
On May 5, the International Day for Biological Diversity, the reporter visited the Shanxi Biodiversity Conservation Center to understand its distribution.
【During the same period】Zhu Jun, Director of Shanxi Biodiversity Conservation Center
The money leopard is one of our "four key protection flagship species" in Shanxi, and from our province, in addition to Datong and Shuozhou, several other cities are distributed. Over the years, through the protection of our entire habitat, the quality of life of North China leopards has been improved, and the number has gradually increased steadily.
According to preliminary statistics, there are 48 stable populations and 8 concentrated distribution areas in North China leopards in Shanxi. As the top species of the natural food chain, the stable survival of the North China leopard can play a special role in regulating the population number, stabilizing the ecosystem and maintaining ecological balance, and also marks the integrity and stability of the local ecosystem and the high richness of biodiversity.
【During the same period】Zhu Jun, Director of Shanxi Biodiversity Conservation Center
The North China leopard has been a key species to investigate and monitor by our Biodiversity Conservation Center. Over the years, we have continuously deployed a matrix of infrared cameras in its concentrated distribution area to detect the overall ecological quality and its quantity, photographing a female leopard with two or even three baby leopards, and found that this species is now a very stable population in our Shanxi.
【Commentary】In 2021, Shanxi identified the North China leopard, original musk deer, brown horse chicken and black stork as the "four flagship species" of the province; In 2022, Shanxi carried out special investigation and monitoring of the North China leopard to further identify its population and population, and find out its habitat. At present, Shanxi has strengthened the construction and restoration of ecological corridors, connecting isolated distribution areas through ecological corridors.
【During the same period】Zhu Jun, Director of Shanxi Biodiversity Conservation Center
Through research, we in Shanxi vividly call it "two vertical and six horizontal", "two vertical" is Lüliang Mountain and Taihang Mountain, "six horizontal" is the north between it there is Yanmen Pass, as well as our Zhoushan, as well as our Taiyue Mountain and Zhongtiao Mountain, which are the basis for the construction of our biological corridor, on this basis, individual isolated sites, we take afforestation, or build hidden places for wild animals, to form a kind of penetration and connection.
【Explanation】Shanxi has strengthened the monitoring of the "two vertical and six horizontal" ecological migration corridors of wild animals (namely Taihang Mountain and Lüliang Mountain in the north-south vertical communication channel, and Hengshan, Wutaishan - Guanzhuo Mountain, Jizhoushan - Tianlong Mountain, Taiyue Mountain - Gusai Mountain, Danzhuling - southern foothills of Taiyue Mountain, and Zhongtiao Mountain in the east-west horizontal communication channel), and promoted the restoration of wildlife habitat restoration, ecological corridor connection, prey species restoration and other projects with the North China leopard as umbrella species, and protected the habitat of the North China leopard from various aspects such as mountains, water, forests and roads.
【During the same period】Zhu Jun, Director of Shanxi Biodiversity Conservation Center
For biodiversity conservation, we still have to focus on some concentrated issues, for example, we are studying the technical means and channels for biodiversity transformation for different ecological environments, and at the same time, for our "four flagship species" in Shanxi, we must protect the entire region, like supporting four "umbrellas", to protect other species and biodiversity.
Zhang Licheng Shanxi comprehensive report
Responsible Editor: [Li Ji]