In search of the elusive snow leopard

Dongsheng, a patroller of four mountains in Niandu, is responsible for monitoring ecosystem.[Photo by Yang Yang/China Daily]

Saying goodbye to Dongsheng, we continued to drive and pulled up beside a white tent, besides which were more than 60 black and white yaks, grazing quietly at dusk. They were with a nomadic family of four that would migrate to different grasslands in different seasons. The daughter and mother were at home.

The father, Yonta, is a patroller, and one of the 42 herdsmen who placed camera traps to record animal activities. The family is one of 15 official reception families in the town for people who want to experience life here and to observe animals and plants in the region.

"The services start from the airport," said the patroller's wife, Namsai Voimo, 46. "We pick up customers from there and take them to the places that wild animals frequent. We charge 1,500 yuan a day for a car and guide service, and 200 yuan each for board and lodging a day.

"In April we had four British people here who wanted to take photos of snow leopards, but one got severe altitude sickness, so they stayed for only two days and left."

When we finally reached our destination, the new tire suffered the same fate as the first one, and we spent some time waiting for another spare to be delivered from the town, 100 kilometers away. The only animals we saw were marmots and stray dogs.