Researchers find habitats of North China leopards

Chinese researchers announced Tuesday that they have identified two habitats of the North China leopard, a subspecies of the Amur leopard that is unique to China, in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.

Feng Limin, a researcher involved in the discovery, said that cameras have captured at least 28 North China leopards over the past year in the Ziwuling forest region in Shaanxi, by far the most densely populated region for the endemic leopard in China.

The other habitat was found in the Taihangshan Mountains in Shanxi, said Feng, an associate professor with Beijing Normal University. It has been clear that the animal survives in the wild, he said.

Leopards are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, as well as being a national-level protected animal in China. To better research and protect the leopards and tigers, China set up a special research center in Beijing Normal University in February.

Feng said the findings will help people understand the overall leopard population and distribution patterns, which are important for conservation.