China has launched a plan to protect snow leopards in Xinjiang, the Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest of the country.

In September, scientists conducted a survey of snow leopards' habits and characteristics, as well as their number and distribution in Xinjiang.

The survey shows that the number of snow leopards is seriously under threat.

There are only a few thousand snow leopards left in the world. One quarter of them live in Xinjiang region.

(CRI December 20, 2004)