XINING, July 11 (Xinhua) -- In the heart of Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, a snow leopard named "Aoxue" strolls leisurely among the rocks at the Xining Wildlife Park, occasionally pausing to curiously engage with visitors.

Just a few months ago, Aoxue celebrated her ninth birthday. She is currently the oldest captive-bred snow leopard in China, a living symbol of the country's hard-won breakthroughs in snow leopard conservation.

Back on June 10, 2016, two female snow leopard cubs were born at the park's snow leopard breeding center, ending a 30-year streak of failed artificial breeding attempts.

"When we saw the newborns, our hearts were in our throats, fearing history would repeat itself," said Qi Xinzhang, deputy director of the Qinghai wildlife rescue and breeding center.

Due to the species' poor adaptability to low-altitude environments and previous shortfalls in husbandry and medical care, many cubs born in the past failed to survive, Qi explained.

But this time was different. Aoxue's mother showed remarkable maternal instincts, nursing and protecting her young with great care, while staff at the wildlife park monitored the cubs around the clock on the surveillance screen.

Thanks to this dedicated care, Aoxue survived. When she turned one in June 2017, her survival marked the center's first successful case of captive snow leopard breeding.

Since then, progress has steadily accelerated. In May 2019, another pair of female cubs was born. Thanks to improved breeding practices, the twins had a 30 percent higher body weight than Aoxue at the same age.

"Captive breeding is a core tool in ex-situ conservation. The maturing of snow leopard breeding techniques not only increases the captive population and expands educational impact, but also opens a new avenue for both national and global snow leopard conservation," said He Shunfu, director of the breeding center.

The successful captive breeding of snow leopards in Xining highlights China's significant progress in snow leopard research and conservation.

Xining Wildlife Park was recently designated a long-term scientific research base for snow leopard breeding on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau -- the only such base in the country -- by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

In September 2024, Xining officially unveiled its new city branding as China's "Snow Leopard Capital," featuring a distinctive city intellectual property (IP) image centered on the snow leopard. This marks the first time a provincial capital has adopted a wild animal as its urban icon.

Snow leopards have long been tied to Xining and the surrounding areas. In recent years, wild snow leopards have been frequently spotted in nearby habitats, offering vivid proof of Qinghai's role in safeguarding China's ecological security, according to Qi.

His opinion was shared by He. "The increasing sightings of wild snow leopards near Xining show that our conservation zones provide a safe and undisturbed environment. They also indicate that the local ecosystems are intact and healthy and capable of supporting apex predators like snow leopards," He said.

Currently, around 20 snow leopards are publicly exhibited in China, with 12 housed at Xining Wildlife Park. Aside from the three born through captive breeding, the rest were rescued from the wild.

"Wildlife rescue not only saves individual animals but also helps preserve biodiversity," Qi said.

The park has in recent years rescued several injured or orphaned snow leopards from the wild. Some arrived in critical condition, suffering from severe trauma or near-starvation, but recovered through intensive medical care.

Groundbreaking procedures -- including China's first facial reconstruction and root canal on a snow leopard -- were performed in the park. Today, these rescued animals are doing well in special recovery enclosures.

These achievements have placed Xining at the forefront of snow leopard rescue and research and further reinforced its brand as the "Snow Leopard Capital."

According to the Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Administration, the province is building a new nature reserve system centered around national parks and has established a biodiversity monitoring network focusing on snow leopards. Qinghai is home to approximately 1,200 wild snow leopards.

China has been actively promoting ecological conservation, a national development strategy that integrates environmental protection into economic and social planning. Under this vision, protecting flagship species like the snow leopard has become both a scientific priority and a symbol of broader biodiversity conservation efforts.

According to He, since its founding, the wildlife rescue and breeding center has rescued more than 2,200 wild animals from 62 species -- including snow leopards, Przewalski's gazelles, and black-necked cranes -- with nearly one-third successfully rehabilitated and released.

"We will continue to strengthen wildlife rescue, public awareness, and conservation efforts," Qi said. "We hope Xining will become a true home shared by snow leopards and humans."