Snapshots of Dulong River Valley

A japalure lizard distributed mainly in the Dulong River Valleys. [Photo by Fan Yi/For China Daily]

Isolated from the outside world by the Tibet plateau to the north, the Gaoligong Mountains to the east and the Dandanglika Mountains in the west, the Dulong River Valley is one of the remotest and most underdeveloped areas in Yunnan province.

However, primitive forests in the area and the Dulong River are treasure troves filled with various wildlife and is the last sanctuary for many rare animals, including the takin and capped langur, and one of the country’s last virgin lands of discovery.

During the first three weeks of May, a team of eight wildlife photographers with the Beijing-based biodiversity survey institute, Imaging Biodiversity Expedition, and five rangers from the forestry bureau of the Nujiang prefecture entered the area and made a comprehensive photographic survey of the area's rich fauna and flora.

They were trapped in a hamlet only four kilometers away from Myanmar for eight days, because landslides caused by heavy rains closed the road. Still, they managed to photograph an amazing variety of wildlife species, including hundreds of insects and bugs, more than 150 species of birds, dozens of frogs and toads and a few animals.

Their photos will give people a glimpse of the area's rich biodiversity and let more people know the importance of keeping it intact.