A rare wild snow leopard was filmed by a nature photographer only 400 meters away at Sanjiangyuan National Park in northwest China.

The snow leopard is a rare species under first-class state protection in China and is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

According to WWF, the population of the snow leopard is estimated from 4,000 to 6,500 and is likely in decline.

The photographer said it was not the first time that he spotted and filmed a snow leopard in this area.

In November, a rare wild snow leopard was spotted at Sanjiangyuan National Park in northwest China’s Qinghai Province, filmed by a nature photographer only 400 meters away from it.

This “big cat” sometimes gazed into the distance mightily and sometimes leisurely lay on the rock.

The snow leopard is a rare species under first-class state protection in China and is classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to WWF, the population of the snow leopard is estimated from 4,000 to 6,500, which is likely to be declining.

As the photographer said, it was not the first time that he had recorded the snow leopards in this area but this footage was the best one with nearly 15 days of waiting.

The video was provided by CNS with permission.