Tibetan Snow Leopards under Threat

By Tenzin Samten / January 21, 2016;

Hunting gear and animal carcasses seized from poachers shown in a screen grab from Weibo

Tibetan villagers who were assigned to guard wildlife caught four poachers in Dzoege County in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture on January 9. This was followed by another incident, reported on January 12, that five more Chinese nationals were taken into custody for alleged poaching near Hetita village in Qinghai’s Tsonub Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) has reported that the four Chinese poachers caught in Dzoege County were immediately handed over to local officials. RFA’s source said “Tibetans confiscated two rifles and a jeep, along with the carcasses of 12 animals the poachers had hunted.” According to photos circulated on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging service, the animals killed in the protected region included musk deer, wild sheep, wolves and rabbits. The detention of the poachers was later confirmed by the provincial government website of Sichuan province.

Xinhua, the Chinese government controlled news agency, reported that another five Chinese nationals were arrested in a separate incident in Qinghai’s Tsonub Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture for killing two snow leopards and one golden eagle, both top on the country’s protection list. Police also seized the bodies of six bharals, six goitred gazelles and three argali sheep from the detainees’ houses, these are also protected species. The report also stated that the five men have confessed to poaching endangered wild animals. Police are still investigating the case.

The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is home to more than 70 protected wild animals and home to world’s largest population of snow leopards.
China is one of the world’s largest consumers of wildlife products, especially snow leopards which are highly prized for their beautiful fur. In addition, their bones and other body parts are reportedly used in making traditional Asian medicines.

Experts say that despite China’s central government urging protection of the vulnerable environment of the Tibetan plateau, exploitation continues at a local level. Xinhua stated that under Chinese law, a person convicted of poaching or killing of endangered animals can receive a life sentence.