Snow leopard conservation alliance established in China's Qinghai

XINING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Snow Leopard Conservation Alliance was established on Monday in Xining, capital city of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The alliance was jointly initiated by the provincial forestry and grassland bureau, the municipal government of Xining, the Sanjiangyuan National Park administration, the Qinghai administration of the Qilian Mountain National Park, and Eco-Bridge Continental. It has seen the participation of more than 90 government agencies, universities, research institutions, social organizations and enterprises from across the country.

On Monday, a seminar on snow leopard conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was also held. Experts and scholars attended the event, sharing their experiences of snow leopard monitoring research and conservation.

The establishment of the alliance is expected to integrate and optimize the strengths and resources of all parties involved in snow leopard conservation, and establish an efficient system and collaborative mechanism for the co-building, co-management and co-protection of snow leopards.

Known as the "king of snow mountains," the snow leopard is under first-class national protection in China and is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Experts have estimated that the population of snow leopards in Sanjiangyuan has reached about 1,200.