According to the WeChat public account of Xi'an Baifa, on November 12, a infrared trail camera equipped with infrared technology set up by the Taiping State-owned Ecological Forest Farm in Hu County, Xi'an captured an image of a first classes national protected animal leopard (Panthera pardus). This is the first time that the infrared trail camera has captured the leopard's footprints since it was set up in the area.
"Today, while we were going through the images captured by the infrared trail cameras set up in the wild, we were pleasantly surprised to find an image of a leopard taken at 10:50 on October 29，" said a representative of the Taiping State-owned Ecological Forest Farm. The infrared trail camera was set up on April 16 this year at the bottom of a north-south slope in Hu Bay, a section of the forest managed by the Taiping State-owned Ecological Forest Farm in the East and West Mountains. Below the infrared trail camera was a small stream, which was a necessary route for animals to obtain water.
According to the staff, the infrared trail camera captured two images of the leopard, and the two photos were taken within 20 seconds of each other, confirming that the infrared trail camera captured the same leopard. The first photo shows a mature leopard passing by very close to the infrared trail camera, with only the strong back muscles and distinctive leopard spots of the leopard captured in the photo. The second photo shows the leopard passing in front of the infrared trail camera, pausing briefly before walking away from the infrared trail camera on the right
"Although the puma's tracks have been captured several times in the hinterland of Qinling Mountains, the sighting of puma in Taiping National Ecological Forest Farm is the first time." It is reported that in order to continuously increase the protection efforts for wildlife, 31 infrared trail cameras have been set up in Taiping National Ecological Forest Farm, and 160 effective videos and photos of national level one protected animals such as goral, golden monkey, sika deer, and spotted woodpecker, and national level two protected animals such as red-bellied hornbill, yellow-throated marten, leopard cat, and black bear have been captured. The first sighting of puma indicates that the wildlife species have increased after the improvement of the ecological environment in this area.