Snow leopard sighted in NW China

A wild snow leopard was captured on camera chasing a flock of capra ibexes in China's Xinjiang on Nov. 3.

A wild snow leopard was captured on camera chasing a flock of capra ibexes in China's Xinjiang on Nov. 3.

A rare snow leopard has been seen in Xinjiang in the northwest of China, near the border with Pakistan.

The leopard remained motionless for a moment next to a riverbed, long enough for soldiers who were on patrol to take pictures and film it. According to Ma Ming, an ecological expert in Xinjiang, it's the first time a wild snow leopard has been captured on film at such a high altitude of 5,100 meters.

Snow leopards are rarer than giant pandas in China, and are under state protection. Ma Ming estimates this leopard was two or three years old.