Infrared cameras recorded spotted hazel chicken for the first time in Yushu, Qinghai (photo)

The picture shows the spotted hazel chicken, a national first-class protected animal in China, captured by an infrared camera at the Dongzhong Forest Farm in Yushu, Qinghai. Provided by Shanshui Nature Conservation Center

Xining, September 30 (Reporter Luo Yunpeng) Recently, in the biodiversity conservation monitoring carried out by the Environmental Protection and Forestry Bureau of Yushu City, Qinghai Province, in cooperation with the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, the staff used infrared cameras to record for the first time in the Dongzhong Conservation Zone of Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve that the spot-tailed hazel chicken, a national first-class protected animal in China.

Yushu Prefecture is the birthplace of the Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River, and the landform here covers high mountains, lakes, shrublands, grasslands, forest areas, etc., and is one of the important breeding habitats for wild animals in the sanjiangyuan area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Zhao Xiang, director of the Sanjiangyuan Project of the Shanshui Nature Conservation Center, introduced on the 30th that the Dongzhonglin site where the Banwei hazel chicken was infested was located on the Tongtian River, and the altitude was within 3500-3600 meters.

Endemic to southwest China, the spot-tailed hazel is found only in the mountainous regions of Qingchuangan and other provinces, and has been recorded in eastern Tibet and northern Yunnan, and was listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2012.

"Due to habitat destruction caused by human activities and historical hunting activities, the number of spot-tailed hazelnuts is now small, and the alpine primitive coniferous forest areas on which the spot-tailed hazelnuts rely are often isolated from each other, and in the past there were only documented records in Nangqian County, Yushu Prefecture, the province." Zhao Xiang said, "The record of the spot-tailed hazel chicken further fills the gap in the distribution of this species in the Sanjiangyuan area." ”

It is understood that the record of the Spot-tailed Hazel chicken infested Dongzhong forest farm area, the previous staff in 50 square kilometers of 14 infrared cameras, has taken 7 (duan) golden leopard photos and videos.

Xiao Lingyun, Ph.D., of the Research Center for Nature Conservation and Social Development of Peking University, said that in the initial stage of monitoring of Yushu Dongzhong Forest Farm, national protected animals such as the golden leopard and its cubs and spot-tailed hazel chickens were frequently recorded, which fully demonstrated the rich biodiversity and ecological value of the region, and laid a foundation for in-depth understanding of the living environment and habits of rare animals and the protection work. (End)