October 23 marks International Snow Leopard Day, celebrating the mysterious “King of the Snow Mountains.” This first-class protected species is the world’s highest-living #feline and a key guardian of the Qinghai-#Xizang #Plateau, known as Earth’s “Third Pole.⁣ ⁣ A ceremony was held at China’s Xining Wildlife Park, featuring snow leopard–themed cultural creations, literature, art, and photography. The event invited the public to engage in #biodiversity #conservation and raise awareness of snow leopards’ fragile alpine ecosystems.⁣ ⁣ Globally, an estimated 7,000 snow leopards remain—60% of them in #China. Over the past decade, China’s #snowleopard population has doubled from 2,500 to around 5,000, with habitats expanding to 2.08 million km².⁣ ⁣ The country has built 2 national parks and 78 key habitats, protecting 40% of potential snow leopard territory, making sure these elusive big cats can roam free.#InternationalSnowLeopardDay #wildlife #ThirdPole