On February 16, Mr. Qian, who was driving along the Xiuling Highway, spotted one adult and two juvenile leopards on the mountain near Cave No. 14 of Zhuyu Peak in Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area. He immediately stopped his car to capture this rare sight. He then called the Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area management to report the situation and provided them with the photos, which clearly show a robust adult leopard and two cubs.
“It was around 11 a.m. at noon. I was already driving past when I felt something was moving in the woods by the roadside. When I looked closely, I realized it was a leopard. I was so excited that I quickly parked my car and took a few photos. Unfortunately, the adult leopard noticed me, and all three leopards quickly ran back into the forest,” Mr. Qian recounted the encounter to scenic area staff.
Leopards are a Class I protected animal in China, typically inhabiting pristine and dense forests. Currently, the North China subspecies can be found in small numbers in mountainous areas of Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, and other parts of North China. Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area is a national forest park with a well-preserved ecological environment. Among its key forested zones is Zhuyu Peak, which features lush vegetation and a forest coverage rate as high as 93%, making it a true “natural oxygen bar.” It is understood that this is not the first time leopard activity has been spotted in the scenic area. In September 2013, leopard traces were found in the Matou Mountain forest area in the western part of Yuntai Mountain.
According to the scenic area, the location where the leopard was spotted is part of a protected forest zone and not an open tourist area. Key tourist zones and routes within the scenic area are already under surveillance coverage. Moving forward, the scenic area will collaborate with forestry authorities to strengthen monitoring and management of the Zhuyu Peak forest area, focusing on gathering data on the leopards’ movement patterns and enhancing the protection of this endangered wild animal. Experts point out that although leopards are fierce by nature, they rarely attack humans unless they feel cornered and desperate. The Yuntai Mountain Scenic Area also reminds tourists that if they encounter large wild animals during mountain tours, they should avoid approaching out of curiosity. It’s important to protect wildlife while ensuring your own personal safety. The scenic area will also enhance measures to ensure visitor safety.