Do you know when the fate between humans and cats originated?
The first human record of cats dates back to the Second Dynasty of Egypt (around 2890 BC). The Egyptians worshipped cats, believing that cats could protect people from all evil forces.
Nowadays, more and more people are addicted to the cute charm of cats and join the ranks of shovelers. But did you know that in addition to the pet cats we hold in the palm of our hands, there are also a group of "big cats" living freely in nature?
In the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, there is a little-known secret place where seven species of cats live, known as the "Kingdom of Seven Cats", which is the new dragon.
As of now, the Beijing Entrepreneur Environmental Protection Foundation (SEE Foundation) and the Ant Forest Platform are about to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of the New Dragon Conservation Area! During this year, Chengdu Tianfu New District Aisiyi Ecological Protection Center (Aisiyi), as the executive agency of the New Dragon Conservation Area project, has made many efforts to protect the happy life of big cats and cats.
In Xinlong, The project staff of Aisiyi has established a scientific monitoring network for the big cats living here, and the rangers measure this magical and beautiful land step by step with their own feet, where the big cats can freely tour their territory, breed offspring, and continue the vitality of this land.
Today is the International Cat Love Day, let's take a look at the life of these seven "cats" in the new dragon!
Scenic new dragon. Elsevier Ecological Conservation Center/Photo
Snow leopard
The panthera uncia is a big cat that has attracted global attention and is known as the king of the snowy mountains.
Distributed in Central Asia to the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding alpine regions, the snow leopard is the flagship species of alpine ecosystems, and its population status is an important indicator of ecosystem health.
Since snow leopards mainly live in alpine bare rock habitats, in order to better hide in the color of steep mountain rocks and snow, snow leopards evolved a gray-white fur covered with black spots and black rings, hiding themselves in the background to improve the success rate of predation. Its tail can reach up to 3/4 of its body length, which is very good at helping the snow leopard maintain balance and keep warm.
The "King's Gaze" of the Snow Leopard. New Dragon Forestry and Grassland Bureau/Photo
leopard
In addition to the snow leopard, the panthera pardus is also a famous big cat. Leopards are not as large as tigers, with a body length of about 100 to 150 centimeters and a weight of 50 to 100 kilograms. It is very agile and climbs mountains and trees.
The existing leopard in China has yellow fur and black ring spots on it, and the spots are round or oval in a plum-like pattern, like the copper coins used by ancient people, so it is nicknamed the golden leopard.
The leopard prefers to lie down at night, sleeping in its nest or tree during the day and foraging for food at night. The new dragon has a wealth of flora and fauna, and all this meets the needs of cats, leopards will prey on ungulates such as forest musk and sambar deer, and will also prey on small monkeys and birds.
Nocturnal leopards. Elsevier Ecological Conservation Center/Photo
Desert cats
The Desert Cat (Felis bieti) is a feline endemic to the mainland, it is a little larger than the domestic cat, has a pair of blue eyes, a long tail, a pinch of short hairs on the tip of the ears, and glows orange-red in the sun, very handsome.
Although it has the word desert in its name, don't be misled, the desert cat does not live in the desert, but in the mountains. They live on the edges of mountain forests, high-altitude scrub and meadows.
Desert cats do not build their own homes, in meadows and shrubland areas, there are many marmots, marmot burrows are the desert cat's favorite housing. Every winter, it finds a cozy cave to spend the long winter, but what if there are homeowners inside? That only drives the owner away...
The mysterious back of the desert cat. New Dragon Forestry and Grassland Bureau/Photo
Leopard cat
The ocelot (Prionailurus bengalensis) is a member of the family Catidae, ocelots. Don't get me wrong, the ocelot we are referring to here is the Asian ocelot – a wild animal, while the domestic ocelot is a Bengal ocelot that has been crossed and bred for at least four generations.
Back to the point, the ocelot is also known as the "money cat" in China, is it very familiar? The golden leopard is also named for the same markings.
Ocelots are similar in size to domestic cats, but have slimmer bodies and longer legs, which allows them to run faster in the mountains.
Ocelots live mainly in mountain forests and shrublands. Like the other big cats introduced earlier, they also like to rest in burrows, under rocks, or in stone crevices.
Can you find the ocelot in the picture? Elsevier Ecological Conservation Center/Photo
Lynx
The Lynx lynx is a large cat that can weigh up to 29 kg in adults. Usually, cats and cats have a long tail, which is why felines are extremely balanced, and the lynx is its signature feature because of its short tail that distinguishes it from other cats.
The lynx's ears have a tuft of upward black hairs at the top, as if it has its own "wifi" function, and there are long hairs hanging down on both sides of the cheeks.
Braving the cold and agile, the lynx is one of the most feared enemies of many small animals.
Lynx is watching you. New Dragon Forestry and Grassland Bureau/Photo
Asian Golden Cat
The golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is a medium-sized cat that generally has a body length of 78 to 100 cm and a tail of about half its body length.
The golden cat has a beautiful coat, and will show different colors of hair and patterns because of the difference between individuals, including hemp brown type, reddish brown type, black type and spotted type, even the golden cat mother does not know what kind of coat color its child will be born.
But don't think that the golden cat's temper is as beautiful as its appearance, in fact, the golden cat is very fierce, and can even hunt small and medium-sized ungulates larger than itself.
The golden cat's hearing is also outstanding, it can clearly hear movements from all directions, coupled with the predation habit of leaving early and returning late, making it an excellent hunter.
At this time, a beautiful golden cat passed by. New Dragon Forestry and Grassland Bureau/Photo
Rabbit
Compared with other cats, Otocolobus manul may be a more familiar Internet celebrity cute beast, and it is often on the hot search because of its stupid, funny facial expressions.
Unlike many cats, the rabbit is shorter and runs like a gray-black ball of fur moving on the ground. Rabbits generally live in cold, relatively flat bare rocks or meadows. In order to resist the cold, it is covered with thick hair, coupled with its small size, it naturally looks chubby. However, the weight of adult rabbits is generally only about 2-5 kilograms, which can be described as extremely fat.
Because the rabbits live in the gentler terrain of the highland area, and the cats prefer to inhabit the stone crevices or burrows, the highland marmot has been stolen again!
Rabbit that is almost integrated with the environment. New Dragon Forestry and Grassland Bureau/Photo
As part of the earth family, these wild cats have also made many contributions to this family. As top predators, cats and cats have always borne the burden of regulating nature: they control the number of herbivores, do not let forests and grasslands be exhausted, and let us enjoy the resources brought by the forest.
However, in recent years, a series of environmental problems such as global warming and indiscriminate logging have greatly damaged the homes of wild animals. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 15 million hectares of forest are deforested each year around the world in 2015-2020 alone, and countless animals and plants are on the verge of extinction. In order to protect the homes of cats and other animals and plants, it is urgent to protect the environment!
At present, more than 150 infrared cameras have been installed in the New Dragon Sanctuary, which is the main way to monitor wildlife activities, and can provide staff with information on biological species and living conditions in the protected area. As of August 2022, the team has conducted 165 patrols, deployed 150 monitoring grids, and detected wild birds and animals, including 52 4 species of felines, of which 2, 6 and 4 are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List as endangered, vulnerable (VU), and near threatened (NT).
Open the [Alipay APP] search for [Ant Forest], click [Planting Trees] in the upper right corner to claim the New Dragon Protectorate, and guard the big cats and their homes.
Claim the New Dragon Sanctuary and guard the unique "Seven Cat Kingdom"!
Let's work together to dedicate our own strength to ourselves, for cats, for forests, and for the earth!
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